How to Raise a Heart
by ReptileGirl497
Summary: Fourth installment of the How to Raise a Dragon series. The Haddock children have all reached their teen years, and are beginning to develop new types of feelings. But Hic is struggling to adapt to these new feelings, especially those for his childhood friend, Unn. How long will it take for him to finally admit to Unn how he really feels? And what happens when new dragons appear?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

 **Now let's get this story started!**

* * *

 _If you thought that raising a young child was hard, I can tell you that it doesn't get much easier in the teen years._

 _I may have gotten the hang of my new duties around the village, and helping my son be the best he can, but it is nothing compared to raising a group of teenagers._

* * *

Anyone who didn't know the Haddocks wouldn't have believed that Draco, Camicazi, and Hic would be teenagers before their parents even reached their thirties.

It had been eight years since the fight against Drago Bludfist, and the Haddock children had aged well. Draco had a girlfriend, Camicazi was attracting guys from almost everywhere, and Hic was very close to Unn. The youngest Haddock didn't want to admit that he had strong feelings for Unn, but he knew he had to tell someone eventually. And who better to talk to than his dad? If he could confess his feelings to Astrid, then Hic could do the same with Unn.

The only problem was that Hic never fully got over his shyness.

He had grown to resemble his father not only in looks, but in personality too. If his father had been the same age as he, it would be nearly impossible to tell them apart. Even so, Hic knew that it would take more than just his father's help with him getting over his usually shy nature.

Telling Unn his feelings wouldn't be easy.

He went to see Draco, who was helping his girlfriend, Aludrnari, train Torch's daughter, Peril.

"You need to let her know that she can trust you," Draco said as Aludrnari approached the Typhoomerang. Aludrnari nodded as she held out her hand. Peril watched her for a bit before leaning her head down and pressing her snout into the girl's hand. Aludrnari smiled as she patted the dragon's scaly snout. Peril tried to duplicate her new friend's grin, but she couldn't quite get it right. Aludrnari laughed.

Hic watched them from a safe distance, smiling at the sight of someone befriending a dragon. Draco suddenly noticed him and gestured for him to come over. Making sure that Peril's focus was on Aludrnari, Hic slowly made his way to his older brother. "How's she doing?" he asked, trying to build more conversation than his one question. "She's doing well for her first time," Draco replied. He wasn't as crazy about dragons as he had been before his teen years, and being Aludrnari's boyfriend offered him new opportunities. "She must really appreciate your knowledge of dragons," Hic commented. Draco shrugged. "I try not to be too much of a know-it-all," he said. There was a long silence before Draco asked, "Can I help you with anything?" Hic hesitated before finally confessing.

"I have feelings for Unn, and I don't know how to tell her that."

Draco nodded. "I had problems like that when I first got to know Aludrnari," he said. "What did you do?" Hic asked. "I went to talk to Dad," Draco replied, "He said that if I got to know her more, I might be able to find out what I like about her the most, and soon enough I'd be able to tell her how I felt." "And it worked?" Hic asked. Draco shrugged. "I gave it a try, but I'm more of the observing type," he said, "I was able to gather confidence by learning more about her as we hung out together, and somehow I managed to tell her how I felt about her." As if on cue, Aludrnari approached them. "And we've been together since then," she said before kissing Draco on the cheek. Draco smiled. "Don't think I'd leave you out of anything, Nari." Aludrnari smiled at the nickname her boyfriend used. Hic frowned. He'd never found the chance to give Unn a nickname, and he'd never heard her call him something other than the shorter version of his real name. "Thanks, Draco," he muttered before turning to leave. "Where are you going?" Draco asked. "To find Mortem," Hic replied.

Draco watched his younger brother leave with concern. "Hope he's okay," he said. "I'm sure he'll be fine," Aludrnari said, "He always seems to come through. Just like you, Dray." Draco smiled at his nickname and turned to look at his girlfriend. "Always know what to say," he muttered as he leaned in and kissed her gently. Aludrnari was temporarily surprised by her boyfriend's actions, but she got over it quickly and kissed him back with passion.

Hic was watching from afar, pausing to see their kiss before resuming his search for Mortem.

* * *

It didn't take Hic long to find the 99-foot tall dragon. The Red Death was lying near the ice cave that Fera had made to keep the dragons safe from any enemies they might have. The youngest Haddock made himself comfortable on the back of his adopted brother. "I have strong feelings for Unn," he said, "And I want to be able to tell her that, but somehow I can't. I don't even know if she feels the same way about me."

Mortem listened carefully before writing a reply in a nearby sand bank.

I HAD SIMILAR CONCERNS WITH FERA. I WASN'T SURE IF SHE REALLY LOVED ME OR NOT.

Hic read the message before asking, "What do you think I should do?" Mortem thought for a minute before replying.

TRY AND HANG OUT WITH HER MORE. LEARNING ABOUT HER PERSONAILTY MIGHT HELP YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT HER, AND THAT MIGHT GIVE YOU THE COURAGE TO TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL.

Hic read and reread the message several times before thinking it through. Mortem had taken the time to know Fera before realizing what it was he loved about her. If it worked for Mortem, maybe Hic should give it a try. "I'll give it a try," he said, "And if it doesn't work I'll come back to you, okay?" Mortem looked thoughtful before writing something in the sand.

WHAT IF YOU WENT AND ASKED OUR DAD?

"I could go to him too," Hic said, "See if he has any advice. He probably had it harder than I have now, so I guess I could ask him." Mortem shook his head and continued to write.

DON'T GUESS. KNOW.

It took Hic a moment to realize what Mortem meant. "I will ask him," he said. Mortem smiled and stood up to allow his brother to grab onto a ledge and lift himself up onto the nearby cliff. The giant dragon watched as the young teenager ran in the direction of his house.

* * *

Hic meant to go straight home to talk to Hiccup, but he stopped when he saw Unn out on the cliffs, looking out at the ocean. The young girl had aged quite a lot since he first met her. Her blonde hair flowed freely, never once had it been braided. And her eyes had become a strange mix of blue and green, it was hard to tell what her true eye color was. But Hic liked her the way she was, no matter how she looked. Hic took a deep breath before going to join his friend.

Unn didn't need to turn to see that Hic was approaching. He was the only person, besides her parents, that ever hung out with her. Neither of them said anything as Hic sat down next to his friend. They both stared out at the horizon for a while before Hic finally decided to end the silence.

"Come out here often?"

Unn nodded. "Yeah, it helps to get away from all the noise in the village," she said. "I agree," Hic replied, "Someone always seems to get into an argument about something no matter what my dad does. It helps to have a place to get away from all that." Unn smiled and took his hand in hers. It was something they did often, but Hic wasn't sure why they did it. Was it possible that Unn _did_ have similar feelings about him? Would she tell him? The suspension was almost unbearable for Hic, being the shy boy he was. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take.

"Listen, Unn, I have to go," he finally said. Unn frowned. "Why? What's wrong?" Hic let go of her hand and stood up. "I have to talk to my dad," he said, "Something important. Got to go."

Unn watched as Hic ran off in the direction of his home. She'd been meaning to tell him how she felt about him, and she had been waiting for the right time. It seemed as though she'd be able to tell him while they were on the cliff together, but now he was leaving for home. Maybe there would be another time for her to tell him her feelings.

Maybe.

* * *

 **I'm sure you all get the picture here. Hic and Unn have feelings for one another, and they're trying to tell each other that. The problem is Hic's really shy, and Unn's waiting for the right moment, which Hic seems to be ruining with his shyness. Hope you're all looking forward to finding out how everything will turn out! I'll get back to you guys later, and in the meantime, please leave me a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

 **I've decided to leave the title as it is, since I think it fits how the story will play out. Now let's see what kind of advice Hic will get from his dad.**

* * *

It took Hic longer to get back home than he had anticipated. It helped him a little to get advice from Draco and Mortem, but he knew he still had to talk to his dad. Who else was there to get advice from? Well, there was his mom, but she always referred to his dad, since he had been recently initiating all of the romantic moments. Normally Hic wouldn't be interested in that, but he was pretty desperate for good advice.

It didn't take him long to find his father, either. He was outside with Toothless, examining the Night Furies. The black dragons had been sutdied for years, but there still seemed to be some mysteries involving them. And Hiccup was going to figure them all out.

Toothless Jr. and Starflight noticed Hic almost instantly, and they both bounded over to meet him. Starflight had mastered his plasma blasts a couple years ago, which was a rather big relief to the rest of his family, especially his parents. He was still very close to Hic, but not as much as Toothless Jr. was.

Hiccup and Toothless watched the Night Furies unite with their friend, before Hiccup decided to talk to his son.

"Something tells me you didn't come here to just help me study the Night Furies."

Hic froze for a moment before sighing and turning to face his dad. "I kinda need to talk to you about some feelings I've been having," he said nervously. Hiccup gave him a reassuring smile. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, Hic."

Hic took a deep breath before confessing, "I have feelings for Unn, and I want to tell her, but I don't know how, so I went and talked to Draco and Mortem, Draco said that I could try and get to know her more, and Mortem said to come talk to you, so I started to come back home, and then I ran into Unn, and we talked for a while, and I didn't know what to say because I felt like I didn't get enough advice, so I went to find you, so here I am."

The problem was that Hic was talking too fast for Hiccup to follow what he was saying. "Slow down, Hic," Hiccup said as his son finished his story, "I can't understand you." Hic stopped talking and said slowly and firmly, "I have feelings for Unn, and I don't know how to tell her that."

Hiccup was confused for a few seconds before he gave his son a knowing smile. "I know what you're going through, Hic," he said, "I had similar insecurities about your mother." Hic sighed. "I know about that," he said, "You told me many times." "But I never told you the whole story," Hiccup replied, "And I think it's time you knew."

"Ever since the day I met her, I always had feelings for your mother. She's one of the toughest, bravest, and most amazing Vikings I've ever met. I came to love her, more than anything I ever loved before. I even loved her more than I loved myself. We were in dragon training together, and she knew how to handle those dragons as well as any Viking. Everything changed when she found out about Toothless. I had just begun to think she wouldn't take a liking to anyone, and I somehow managed to change her views of both me and the dragons. I didn't know for sure, but I had a feeling that she was falling in love with me. She started to support me, whenever I needed someone by my side, she was there. I knew I had to tell her how I felt, so I arranged a trip to Dragon Island. I found Mortem's egg there, and when he hatched, my entire world changed. He imprinted on me, and I learned to love him as a parent. I had become a father. I asked Astrid if she wanted to help, and she said yes. I don't know what miracle gave me the strength to finally tell her I loved her, but I did it. After I almost pushed her away from me forever."

"How could you do that?" Hic asked, "Would you really mess up that bad?" "She asked me if I liked her, and I told her the truth," Hiccup said quickly. "What did you say?" Hic asked. Hiccup hesitated for about a full minute before answering, "I told her I didn't like her."

Hic burst out laughing. It wasn't like him to laugh at anyone, but then again, he never actually thought that anyone could mess up that badly. It took him a while to calm down, but when he did, he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I just...I never thought anyone could mess up that bad! So how did you get her to listen after you said that?" Hiccup shot him a playful glare before continuing the story.

"I'll admit, it was easier than I thought. I was thinking she'd never talk to me again, but when I tried to explain, she listened. When I told her I loved her, all of her anger just...disappeared. It was like she was another person. I never once saw that much softness in her, especially with her being a Hofferson. It wasn't long after that when she told me that she loved me too. And I had been waiting nearly my entire life to hear her say that. One thing led to another, and eventually, I asked her to marry me."

"And she said yes," Hic finished. He'd already known how his father proposed to her. Hiccup smiled and gave his son a nod. "She said yes," he repeated. "And Grandma actually thought it was an arranged marriage?" Hic asked suddenly. Hiccup sighed. "The Hoffersons aren't really the most resourceful of Vikings," he said, "And neither was your mother." "But it worked out," Hic pointed out. Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, somehow it did," he said.

"So, what do I do?" Hic asked, "I mean, you know, with Unn?" Hiccup thought for a moment before replying. "Just try and wait for the right time," he said, "All you need is a few seconds of courage, and you never know how it might turn out." Hic gave his father a small smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

* * *

Hic soon found himself sitting in his house, with only Heather there to keep him company, since the house was still too small to have more than three dragons inside at one time. His father had to leave for some last-minute duties in the village soon after they had finished their conversation. A majority of the Vikings had been getting into a lot of arguments and disagreements recently, and that usually kept Hiccup out late. And when Hiccup was out late, then Astrid was out late, helping him with his duties around the village.

Hic wasn't one to complain about how little there was to do, especially around people he was familiar with. He was still a very shy boy, and he rarely talked to anyone he didn't know. And he didn't talk to Heather much, either. She was always like an aunt to him, even though she wasn't a member of their family by blood. He enjoyed listening to her stories, especially the one in which she first met Astrid and Hiccup. But he would always feel that there was something she wasn't telling him. He never asked her, though. He didn't want to put a lot of pressure on her, or anyone else in that matter.

Eventually, he got tired of all the silence, and he asked, "Why did you decide to stay on Berk?"

Heather, who had been cooking dinner, froze for a second before resuming her work. "I was adopted into another tribe," she said, "But it was destroyed by Dagur soon after I arrived on Berk for Snoggletog. I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I decided to stay here with your parents." "Did you ever find out who your real parents were?" Hic asked. "We all know for sure that my father was Oswald the Agreeable," Heather said quietly, "But no one has any knowledge of my mother, yet." Hic thought about what she said for a minute before he realized something. "Doesn't that mean that Dagur..." "Yes," Heather said, interrupting Hic's question, "He was my brother. I found that out years after he was killed by the Night Furies for trying to take you away. I was pretty shocked, but I was able to get over it after a while." Hic turned in his seat so that he was looking at her. "If Dagur was still alive when you found out," he said, "What would you have done?" Heather shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said, "I'd probably still want to kill him for what he'd done, though. I'm sure your parents would have done the same."

Hic didn't say anything, he only nodded.

* * *

Hic didn't get much sleep that night. All he could think about was Unn. They had been friends since they were kids, and he was certain that his feelings for her had grown. Even Toothless Jr. could see it. But what he couldn't understand was why it was so hard for him to admit it to both himself, and Unn. She seemed to like him back, so there was no reason for him to be so nervous. Yet here he was, lying in bed, unable to sleep, all because he couldn't stop thinking of a beautiful girl.

 _Why do feelings have to be so complicated?_

 _Why do I always get so nervous around Unn?_

 _Why can't I just look her in the eye and tell her how I feel?_

His round of endless questions were interrupted by the arrival of a friendly Razorwhip. She had been found and rescued by Heather a few months after the war against Drago and Tyranno, as she had been wounded by a wild Typhoomerang. Heather managed to take her in and nurse he back to health, giving her the name Windshear. The dragon had been loyal to the Haddocks ever since.

Hic could tell that Windshear knew he was having trouble sleeping. He shook his head, silently telling her that he would be fine, and that he didn't need her to get his parents. Windshear seemed to understand. She gave a slight nod before quietly leaving the room. Hic sighed and rolled over so that his back was facing the doorway.

 _How do the dragons know about my problem? Don't they ever know when to leave someone alone for a while?_

* * *

 **I'm sure you've noticed that I've added some things to match up with the new season of the TV series, Race to the Edge. I'll admit, some of it was rather unexpected, but it's still a great show! It's been on Netflix since June, so for those of you who haven't watched it, pick up your remotes, turn on your TVs, and get ready for some dragon adventures! And be sure to leave me some reviews in between episodes!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

 **This chapter will be a bit more calm, and of course, I always add in the romance!**

* * *

Hic didn't get much sleep at all that night, and really, it was no surprise. You'd have trouble sleeping too if your thoughts about a certain person kept swarming through your head like a group of angry wasps. Coincidentally, when he woke up that morning, he was sick to his stomach. It was like he was going to throw up at any minute. Whether it was nerves or the flu, he couldn't seem to tell. But he would've stayed home either way. He didn't feel like seeing anyone, especially Unn. How was he supposed to tell her his feelings if he couldn't even talk to her without stuttering? But he also knew that he couldn't hide from her forever.

Not that he was planning to, anyway.

The dragons were the first to sense something was wrong, since Hic was giving little regards to Toothless Jr. who had propped his paws up on the side of his bed. When the dragon nudged Hic, he only moaned and curled into a ball. That was enough to convince Toothless to leave. He'd had an aversion to sick people ever since Hiccup had gotten the flu. No way he was staying in the same room as Hic. His son, however, was behaving the complete opposite. He wouldn't leave Hic's side no matter what. At least, that was his plan.

Hic didn't mind Toothless Jr. staying by his bedside, despite giving him very few responses. It helped to have someone he knew he could count on beside him, especially at times like these.

 _I wonder if Unn would do the same._

* * *

Hiccup could tell that something was wrong from the way Toothless was acting. The dragon had resolved to staying only in the kitchen, curling himself tight into a corner. And he only did that if someone was sick. The second sign was that Stormfly and Windshear were sitting beside the doorway to Hic's room. His suspicions were confirmed when he looked into the room and saw Hic lying on his bed, groaning while curled into a ball. Slowly approaching his son's bedside, Hiccup barely noticed Toothless Jr. watching from the foot of the bed. Feeling his son's forehead, Hiccup noticed that he was a bit warm, meaning that he could have a fever. Hic groaned and clutched his stomach, almost unaware of his father's presence. Hiccup frowned at the teenager's response, there was no doubt he was sick. Taking his hand off of Hic's forehead, Hiccup grabbed the blanket on the bed and brought it up so that it was covering the sick boy. Hic's expression softened a bit, and he relaxed. Hiccup gave his sleeping son a small smile before leaving the room.

Astrid was waiting for him in the kitchen, trying to soothe an incredibly tense Toothless. She could tell that something was wrong from the way the dragon was acting, and her suspicions were confirmed when Hiccup entered the room, muttering under his breath, "Hic isn't feeling too well."

The thought of her youngest son being ill made Astrid's heart sink. Next to Hiccup, Hic was the most precious, loved, and important person to her. Almost unconsciously, she stood up and headed for her son's room, peeking in through the doorway to find him fast asleep on his bed. Astrid slowly and quietly made her way to her son's bedside, kneeling down and stroking his hair. Hic stirred in his sleep, but he didn't wake. Smiling, Astrid leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Hic's features seemed to soften as he continued to sleep, possibly dreaming of his crush. Sighing, Astrid reluctantly stood up and left the room. Never before had she felt so upset. It seemed as though there was nothing she could do to help her son feel any better. Leaning against the wall just outside Hic's room, Astrid tried desperately to keep her feelings of distraught in check. But even she couldn't deny her true feelings when Hiccup came to check on her.

Astrid was taking a little longer than Hiccup had expected, and he had come to see if there was something wrong. He knew that Astrid cared deeply for their son, so he wasn't surprised to see her upset. But it did make his heart sink. If there was one thing he hated, it was seeing Astrid unhappy. Not caring if anyone was watching, or how Astrid would react, Hiccup enveloped her in a hug.

Astrid wasn't too surprised by her husband's embrace. She knew how much he hated seeing her upset. And with all of the feelings she had bottled up, she wouldn't have cared either way. So, she hugged him back. Hiccup sighed. "Hic's going to get through this" he said, "And we're going to be there for him when he does." Astrid couldn't stop herself from tightening her grip on him, as though she was afraid she'd lose him if she let go. "He was there for me when you weren't," she mumbled, "I know you tried, but..." As she trailed off, Hiccup took the chance to respond. "I'm here now, Astrid. And I promise, I'll never leave you again." Astrid shook her head. "You don't have to promise that," she mumbled. Hiccup gave a light chuckle. "People do crazy things for those they love," he said, nuzzling a soft kiss into the crook of her neck. That made Astrid smile.

"I love you."

Never did Hiccup get tired of hearing those three little words.

"I love you too."

* * *

Hic had woken up just seconds after Astrid had left his room, and he had heard nearly everything that had gone on outside his doorway. How was it that everyone else but him could tell the other person how they felt? He glanced out in the hallway in hopes of seeing his parents kiss, but all he could see were the dark scales of his loyal Night Fury friend. He gave Toothless Jr. a small smile, reached out, and weakly patted the dragon's snout. The Night Fury's attention was suddenly drawn to the hallway, where a somewhat familiar voice was heard conversing with Astrid and Hiccup. At first, Hic thought it was Heather or Valka, but he soon recognized the voice moments before a figure appeared in the doorway.

Unn.

She had come to see him.

Saddened by her friend's condition, Unn hesitated before approaching Hic's bedside and kneeling down next to Toothless Jr., resting a hand on Hic's arm. "I was expecting to see you out early," she said, "But when you didn't show up, I thought that there was something wrong, so I thought I'd come and make sure you were okay." Hic gave her a small smile. "That was very thoughtful of you," he said. Unn wanted to smile back, but she couldn't seem to find it in her. There was no denying her feelings towards the boy, and though she had expected them to meet at a more romantic time, she realized that this could be her only chance.

"Hic..."

"What?"

"There's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Hic's heartbeat nearly hit overdrive as he realized what Unn might have wanted to say. He'd been wanting to have the guts to have this talk with her, and now could be the chance. Ill or not, he was not going to let this go.

Unn took a deep breath before beginning. "I've known you ever since we were younger, and I've had a lot of good times with you. I want to be able to know that you'll be there when I want to talk to someone, and I want to be there for you as well. I know it's a lot to take in, but I know we'll be able to work it out somehow."

Toothless Jr. watched and listened curiously as Hic tried hard to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. "Unn, I..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the equally shy girl.

"Hic, I want to be your girlfriend."

That wasn't what Hic had been expecting, but he was quite surprised and elated that Unn had told him that. She wanted him to be her boyfriend. She cared about him that much. Unable to speak, he gave her a quick nod. Unn smiled at him. "Thanks for understanding," she said softly. Hic shrugged. "It's no biggie," he said, "Though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Are you sure you want to be my girlfriend?" Unn shook her head. "There's honestly no one else I'd rather be with," she said, "Especially when I'm with someone like you...sweetie."

Before Hic could register what his new girlfriend had said, he felt something press against his cheek, and the next thing he knew, Unn was leaving the room. She glanced back at him before she turned and left.

It took him a full minute to realize that she had kissed him.

* * *

 **Didn't expect that, didja?! Now Hic's got a girlfriend, and there might be some escalating in the relationship! Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

 **Let's see how Hic reacts to having Unn as his girlfriend, shall we?**

* * *

Hic never did get over the fact that Unn had kissed him. It left him with feelings he'd never felt before. His heart was beating faster than usual, and his face was probably as red as a Monstrous Nightmare. He hoped that no one was around to see him in this condition. He'd probably be too embarrassed and delighted to explain at all. Just his luck, his mother chose that particular moment to go check on him. He rolled over, hoping that she hadn't seen his blushing face.

And unfortunately for him, she had.

"Hic, are you okay?"

The teen sighed, knowing he'd have to explain. "Unn came to see me," he said, simply. Astrid went over to his bedside and knelt down next to him. "I know you better than that," she said, "What happened?" Hic hesitated before he muttered under his breath, "She kissed me."

Astrid had just barely heard what her son had said, and she immediately understood. "Your father often reacted the same way whenever I kissed him," she said, sitting up on her son's bed. "What was Dad like when he was my age?" Hic asked, hoping to change the subject. Astrid chuckled. "He acted quite a lot like you do," she replied. "He told me that you didn't pay attention to him before you two met Toothless," Hic muttered, "Is that true?" Realizing that Hic was trying to keep his mind off of Unn, Astrid hesitated to answer. "I didn't really pay much attention to him," she admitted, "I was so focused on restoring honor to my family, that I never bothered to notice him. I was wrong about him, and I've always regretted my actions." "But he forgave you, didn't he?" Hic asked. Astrid gave her son a small smile. "He did," she said, "And I've appreciated it ever since." There was a pause until Astrid asked him, "So, what did Unn say to you?"

Realizing that his mother had directed the conversation right back to his interaction with Unn earlier, Hic sighed before answering. "She said that she wanted to come check on me, and that she'd been thinking about our friendship, and then she just told me she wanted to be my girlfriend. I was stunned at first, but when I tried to tell her that I approved, she kissed me." Before Astrid could ask where, Hic brought his hand out from under the covers, rolled over so that he was facing her, and touched his cheek, in the exact spot where Unn had kissed him that morning. "She left before I could say anything else," he said, sadly.

Astrid could tell in the tone Hic had spoken in that the young boy had developed feelings for his childhood friend. She had experienced similar feelings for Hiccup since after the flight on Toothless all those years ago, and she knew how her son might have felt. All this time, his friendship with Unn had grown into something neither of them had ever experienced before, and the boy barely had the courage to talk to her without stuttering every now and then.

"You love her, don't you?"

Not surprised by his mother's question, Hic nodded. Astrid placed her hand on his shoulder. "Your father and I had similar feelings for each other around your age," she said. Hic sighed. "I want to be brave enough to tell her," he said, "But the thing is, I'm...not. I'm not even sure if I can tell her that." Astrid gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll work on it," she told him, "Just remember that we're here to help you whenever you need it, okay?" Hic thought for a few seconds before smiling.

"Thanks, Mom."

He then leaned up and hugged her, his anxieties and sickly feelings lifting away. His smile widened as he felt Astrid hug him back, finally believing that his parents would always be there to support him whenever he needed it.

"I love you, Mom."

Astrid had known that Hic had loved her, even before he was old enough to say it, and she treasured each moment he told her.

"I love you too, Hic."

* * *

It wasn't long after that until Hic felt well enough to get out of bed. In just a few days, he had recovered enough to go outside the house. He ran into Unn quite a few times, but he still couldn't gather up enough courage to tell her his feelings. But he knew that he had his family to support him, and that made him confident enough to keep trying.

Once, while out walking with Unn, Hic unintentionally overheard a conversation Draco was having with Aludrnari.

"So, will you be able to take me to the Dragon's Edge soon?" Aludrnari asked, unaware that the conversation was being overheard. Draco nodded, "My parents used to take me there all the time," he said, "I'm sure I'll be able to arrange us a trip there soon."

Unn gave Hic a look of confusion, only for him to shrug. He'd been to the Dragon's Edge a few times as well, but he didn't remember much about it, since he'd been only five years old then.

"I haven't been there recently," Draco said, "But I'm sure it hasn't changed much. There might be a few more dragons living there, but I'm sure we can manage." Aludrnari laughed before stating, "I was thinking maybe we could all go there." Draco's smile instantly faded. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "I meant that maybe I could go with you and your family," Aludrnari said, "I haven't really met all of them yet. I mean, I've met your parents and siblings, but I haven't had a chance to meet all the dragons." Draco scratched his neck nervously. "Well, there's Heather as well," he said, "But do you really want to go with me AND my whole family?" Aludrnari shrugged. "Why not?" she asked, "It might be a good opportunity for us all to get to know each other. I've always wondered what it's like to hang out with your folks."

By that time, Hic and Unn had decided to leave the couple and tell Hic's parents about Draco's arrangements for his girlfriend. They had a strong feeling that they would approve, but they had to be sure that it was okay.

Not realizing that they'd had company, Draco and Aludrnari continued to talk.

"I guess it wouldn't be all that bad," Draco said, "I mean, it's been a while since we all went out as a family, with my dad being busy and everything. I'd have to ask my parents first, but I think we can do it." Aludrnari breathed a laugh. "I'll be looking forward to it," she said. "I know you will, Nari," Draco said, leaning in and kissing her gently. Aludrnari, never one to pass up a kiss from her boyfriend, returned his affection. They pulled away after a few minutes, smiling.

"I love you, Nari."

"I love you too, Dray."

* * *

It took Hic and Unn a while to explain to Hiccup and Astrid about what Draco and Aludrnari were talking about and why, but by the time they finished, both of the older Haddocks had looks of understanding.

Hic waited patiently, and anxiously, for what his parents had to say. He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to go to the Dragon's Edge, but he knew as well as anyone that he needed approval from his parents if he had any interest in going.

After what seemed like hours, Hiccup finally nodded. "It's been a while since we've been there," he said, "I'll see if I can arrange a trip for us. Hopefully nothing will come up at the last possible moment." That last part made Astrid laugh.

Hic's eyes lit up. They were heading back to the Dragon's Edge. He didn't know when, but he didn't seem to care. There was so much he wanted to show Unn about the island, and all the other islands around it. Maybe he'd even get the chance to tell her how he felt.

Maybe.

* * *

 **That's right, we're going to the Dragon's Edge! Anyone else excited about that? I know I am! I'll see you guys next time, so be sure to leave some reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

 **This chapter will not only take us to the Dragon's Edge, (of which I'm aware is discovered before the second movie, so I've been trying to make it clear that it is a return trip) but it will also introduce some new faces. Bear with me, the new dragon might seem a bit extreme, or not very interesting, but it's the best I could come up with. I'm not gonna lie, it's probably not all that great.**

* * *

Hiccup had thought he'd never see the Edge again after he and the other Riders had stopped going there. Yet here he was, flying on Toothless, heading to the place where their great adventures looking for more lands had begun. He had made sure to bring the Dragon Eye with them just in case they needed it.

Little did he know that they would be needing it.

Because a hidden reptilian figure was watching them fly by. It sniffed the air, and caught the scent of something it was looking for. Letting out a shriek, it ran off into the thick forest of its home island.

Hiccup heard the shriek, but he couldn't identify where it had came from. He mentally noted to come back and investigate later.

Soon, the Dragon's Edge was in his sight. He looked back over his shoulder to make sure his family was still following him. Astrid, Stormfly, Heather, and Windshear were nearly on Toothless's tail, while the kids were flying behind the two women. Aludrnari and Unn were riding behind Draco and Hic, respectively. Valka, Cloudjumper, Mortem, Fera, Rex, Roan, and Regina were all in the back, making sure that everyone was staying together, as per Hiccup's suggestion.

But even an experienced rider like Valka couldn't have predicted what was to come next.

* * *

A black-haired teenaged boy, around Draco and Camicazi's age, ran through the forest, occasionally glancing back to see if he was being followed. Every now and then, he would hear a shriek, which prompted him to run faster. It felt like forever before he was safe enough to sit down and rest onto a rock, taking out a journal and pencil and started writing.

 _On the Run - Day 30_

 _I'd like to meet the guy who says "dragons are man's best friend." Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dragons, it's just that I've been having trouble with one in particular. It killed my family and destroyed my village to get to me, of all people. I'm pretty sure I don't look anything like a tasty morsel. I'm not the thinnest person, but I'm not exactly strong either. I mean, I've been able to lift heavy piles of firewood for my dad, but I don't do well with oversized hammers and maces, I mean, those things were almost as big as I am._

 _Anyway, this creature's been chasing after me for almost two weeks, and I've been able to catch glimpses of it as I'm running. It's like a gigantic bird with scales instead of feathers. It's not a Deadly Nadder, I've seen those, this thing's much more ugly. Like something that crawled from the flames of Helheim. The village elders called it the Basilisk, and it's able to take the form of whatever dragon it wants to. As long as it has seen the dragon before, you know, for reference. This thing doesn't have any known weaknesses, and it breathes a powerful flame, stronger than any I've ever witnessed._

 _I'll have to get back on the road soon if I have any prayer of outrunning this thing._

 _-Terrence_

No sooner had he finished writing, there was a piercing shriek from off in the distance. Terrence quickly shut the book and tucked it into his pocket before getting up and running to the other side of the island.

* * *

By the time the Haddocks had finished settling in at the Dragon's Edge, Hiccup had nearly forgotten about the shrieking noise he had heard earlier. He had considered going to investigate, but he'd come to the Dragon's Edge to have some bonding time with his family. He couldn't let something as simple as a new dragon distract him from something he had been looking forward to all week. He looked at the walls of his room, where multiple differently-colored artificial tailfins, similar to the one Toothless used for flying, were hanging. There were times when he wished he could go back to the old days, before becoming chief was even a thought in his mind, exploring new lands and finding new dragons with the assistance, and support, of his friends and family. Toothless padded over to nuzzle his friend, crooning. The Night Fury had also heard the shriek earlier, and he knew what was troubling Hiccup. Thinking that he needed more support, Toothless bounded out to find Astrid before Hiccup could wonder what he was doing.

Astrid could tell from the way Toothless was acting that Hiccup was struggling with something. The Night Fury was bounding around and tugging on her shirt, trying to get her to follow him. Toothless didn't like seeing Hiccup upset as much as Astrid did, and he knew that she was one of the best people to go to for help. It wasn't long before the overly-eager Night Fury flung a very surprised, albeit, determined Astrid on his back and bounding back to Hiccup's room.

Hiccup barely acknowledged the fact that Toothless had returned until Astrid joined him. Knowing that he'd have to come clean, he began to tell her about the noise he had heard that morning.

"While we were flying towards the Dragon's Edge, I heard a shriek, and I thought that maybe there was a dragon out there. I didn't want to leave you guys just because of a new discovery, or a dragon that might need our help. We came here to grow closer as a family, and now...I'm not sure what to do."

Astrid understood what Hiccup was trying to say. He didn't want to abandon his family for what he believed could be a new dragon species. But she knew better than that. She had volunteered to go with him on his adventures quite a few times in the past, and she was willing to do it again if it made him feel better about himself. Draping her arm over his shoulders, she pulled him close to her in an attempt at comfort. "I know you think you're leaving us out when you go off on adventures," she said, "But that's one of the reasons why we came here, isn't it?" Hiccup didn't answer. He was too confused. Astrid took his hand in her own. "You could try bringing one of the kids with you," she suggested.

That got Hiccup's attention.

"The kids?"

Astrid smiled up at him. "Yeah, go show them what it's like out here." That made Hiccup smile. He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. "Thanks, Astrid." Before he could leave to find the kids, Astrid stopped him. "Do what you think is right," she said, "We're all here for you when you need us." Hiccup looked back at his wife, nodding.

"I will."

* * *

Terrence didn't know what to do, so he just kept running. Running from the creature that was after him for reasons he did not know. Running from a shape-shifting dragon with an undying determination.

Running from the thing that wanted him dead.

The Basilisk had found him, and was pursuing him from the air, shrieking loudly. Terrence barely had the guts to glance back at the creature, but he did, and it was not a pretty sight to see. As big as a Deadly Nadder, with lime green scales covering its body, a bird-like beak for a mouth, sharp talons for feet, a long scaly tail, and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. The creature's bright yellow eyes etched into his mind as he took whatever turn he could to through the creature off his trail.

Terrence suddenly heard voices up ahead. Human voices. With newfound hope, he put on a burst of speed and dove into a nearby clearing, landing on his stomach. Two people, who he presumed were a father and daughter, immediately came to him to check for injuries. The girl, about his age, had long, brown hair, and blue eyes. In any other situation, Terrence would have been enamored by her appearance. But now was not the time to make new friends.

Hiccup tried to get an answer out of the teenager to see if he was okay. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" The boy looked from him, to Camicazi, and back to the forest from which he had come. His answer came out as a sort of mutter, but he repeated it louder.

"M-monster. Monster!"

As if on cue, a large, ugly-looking beast landed in the middle of the clearing, shrieking loudly and glaring at the black-haired boy.

Stunned by the loud noise, which Hiccup recognized as the shriek he had heard earlier that day, the two Haddocks hastily escorted the boy towards their dragons. Toothless and Eclipse perked up at the sight of their riders, and hurried to join them when they saw the Basilisk running after them.

The last thing Terrence remembered before he blacked out was the sound of Camicazi's voice.

"Hang on!"

* * *

 **Anyone else excited about the appearance of a new character? You don't need to worry too much about that creature, it can't petrify anyone, it's a different kind of Basilisk. And it's after Terrence for a reason I will not spoil. If anyone has any compliments, or complaints, please tell me in a review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

 **Now let's find out more about this new character, shall we?**

* * *

Terrence woke up to find himself lying in a bed, under a rather simple, yet stable, roof. He started to panic. The last time someone had taken him in, the Basilisk had fried them all to get to him. He couldn't let that happen again.

He couldn't put innocent lives in danger.

He went to sit up, but a hand held him down. Terrence looked up to see the man from earlier, the one that had tried to help him. Terrence breathed heavily before asking, "Where am I? Who are you? Why'd you bring me here?" "Try to stay calm," Hiccup said, firmly, "My name is Hiccup. I'm trying to help you." "No," Terrence said, "You don't understand, it's after me. It'll burn everything to the ground to get to me!" Hiccup was confused. "What will?" "That thing!" Terrence said, nearly shouting, "That beast out there! We call it a Basilisk. I don't know why, but it's after me! It's been chasing me for weeks!" "Try to calm down," Hiccup said, "I'm an expert on dragons. I'll see if I can train it..."

"NO!"

Terrence's sudden shout silenced Hiccup. "That thing won't rest until it has me," the black-haired teen stated, "I don't know what it wants, but it's after me. I can't just sit by and watch as it tears through whatever is in its way to get to me. I can't let that creature wipe out innocent lives because of me."

Stunned by the teen's outburst, Hiccup hesitated to respond. "You don't have to worry. We have dragons. They will protect us from that creature." "But the Basilisk can turn into other dragons!" Terrence exclaimed, "It could be here right now! You need to get everyone out of here!"

Hiccup was about to answer when Camicazi arrived. "Hey, Dad, Mom thought that you'd need help with..." She froze when she saw Terrence was awake. Terrence's eyes widened when he saw her. He recognized her instantly from earlier that day. He'd thought she was pretty before, but now, she seemed even more so. Terrence hadn't met a lot of girls his age, but he knew how to treat them. He'd practiced all the time with his father for when he came of age. Just the thought of his father made him feel a pang of guilt deep within his gut. What was it that dragon wanted from him that was worth taking the life of his parents?

"...name?"

"Huh?" Terrence snapped out of his reverie. "What is your name?" Camicazi asked, her voice heavy with distrust. Terrence, momentarily stunned by her toughness, answered, "Terrence. My name is Terrence." Camicazi's expression softened a bit, but Terrence could tell she still didn't trust him. And he didn't blame her. After all, he wouldn't really trust someone who he'd only just met. But with a creature like the Basilisk chasing after him, he somehow knew that he'd need these people to trust him if they believed they could solve his problem.

* * *

Much later, Terrence sat out on a bluff, having told the entire Haddock family his story. They were as confused as he was, since the dragons they encountered didn't attack without reason. Their confusion made Terrence's heart sink. He'd thought that maybe, just maybe, there were people who could help him solve his problem, and find out what the Basilisk was after. But it was all just the same.

And he could tell from the way things were looking that this place would most likely end up like all the other places he'd been taken in. Burnt to the ground, with not a single survivor, except for him.

And he'd promised himself that he wouldn't let that happen again.

"You seem upset."

Terrence turned to see Camicazi standing a few feet away from him. Sighing, he lowered his head.

"I've been spending the past few weeks wondering why I'm still running," he said, "With the Basilisk causing all kinds of damage, I almost want to stop and let it take what it wants from me."

Camicazi listened, and she realized that this boy only wanted to do what he thought was right, even if it meant turning himself in. She sighed deeply and went to sit next to him. "There are moments when I get confused," she said, "When I don't know who I'm meant to be. I've spent my childhood trying to follow in my mother's footsteps, but now I'm not so sure. I can't deny the fact that dragons are a part of my life as much as combat. You could say that I'm still trying to find out who I really am."

Normally, Camicazi wouldn't be pouring out words like that, but she somehow felt that she could trust this boy. That he could listen to her, and understand how she felt. Terrence absorbed every single word Camicazi said, and he hesitated before asking, "Would you be willing to find out with me?"

He expected her to glare and punch him in the gut, but she didn't.

Instead, she turned to face him, her eyes shining with hope. Terrence straightened himself and continued.

"Throughout my life, I've been trying to figure out what I was meant for, too. Always trying to find out what captured me the most, what seemed the most intriguing. But I could never find it. Maybe it was because I didn't appreciate who I was at the time, but I didn't let it stop me. So many things I tried, looking for a way to try and fit in. And if there's anyone who I think can help me find the right path, it's you. So...would you be willing to find that path with me?"

Camicazi listened to him, more than she had ever listened to anything, even Draco's lectures. Hesitating slightly, she laid a hand on Terrence's shoulder.

"I'd love to."

Her words made Terrence freeze, he wasn't expecting her to answer that quickly, and confidently. He regained his posture when he felt a strange, yet warm feeling in his chest. He turned to look at the girl sitting next to him, taking in every small detail. Her flowing brown hair, her bright blue eyes, her petite, yet strong, form.

Was this what love felt like?

He'd never had the time to think about love, especially not with the Basilisk chasing after him all the time. But if this was what it did feel like, then that was okay with him.

* * *

Hiccup had never heard of a dragon like the Basilisk before. Never had there been a dragon that could change its appearance to that of another dragon. Sure, there'd been other dragon with abilities he'd previously hadn't thought possible, but never had there been a shapshifting dragon. Ever since Terrence first told him that the Basilisk could shapeshift, he'd been reluctant to even let Toothless be in the same room as him unless he knew for sure that the Night Fury only had one tailfin.

He needed someone to talk to. And who better than Astrid?

It didn't take him long to find her. Who else would have been testing out the ballista on top of their Dragon's Edge hideout? It had been a while since Astrid had last used it, and she wanted to make sure it still worked, in case she needed to use it for a form of defense later.

Hiccup watched from afar as the independent, yet caring, woman fired spear after spear at the targets she'd previously set up amongst the rocks and shrubs that spread throughout the island. Even now he couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again as he admired her precision, and overflowing confidence. After what seemed like an eternity, Hiccup finally decided to get her attention. Moving quickly and quietly, he made his way up the side of her hut, an idea forming in his head. After making sure that Astrid wasn't looking, he made his way onto the roof, reaching for the Dragon Blade. Watching where he stepped carefully, he made his way behind his wife, who was loading another spear. When he was directly behind her, he reached out so that his arm was in front of her, and unsheathed the fire-covered blade, causing Astrid to back up into him. He expected her to be surprised, so he was confused, yet impressed, to find her smiling. Before he could ask, she stated, "I heard you coming up the side."

Putting the Dragon Blade away, Hiccup stated calmly, "I need to talk to you." Astrid shrugged. "I thought that was the case," she said. Hiccup took a breath before continuing. "It's just that I've never heard of a dragon that could change its shape. If what Terrence says is true, then we could be dealing with an entirely different kind of dragon. I don't want to hurt it, but I don't want you guys to get hurt either."

Astrid had been expecting that, especially since Hiccup was the kind of person to always put his family before himself and his objectives. So, because she knew he needed comfort, she embraced him. "I'd be willing to find out more about this dragon," she said, "As long as you'd let me do it with you." Hiccup smiled as he returned her affection. "Nothing would make me happier," he said.

The two of them were too caught up in the moment to notice the Basilisk, watching them from afar on another island.

* * *

 **Trying to add suspense to the last bit! What do you guys think? Next chapter might take a while, depending on how college goes. Review, please!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

 **I'm sure that we'll be finding out where the story is going in a short while, so bear with me for a little bit longer.**

* * *

The very next day, the Basilisk left her hiding place and circled the island, searching for the boy who had dared to cross into her territory. While it was true that she wasn't the merciless beast she appeared to be, she was angry that the boy had wandered into her cave and stolen her most prized possession.

And she would stop at nothing to get it back.

After spotting the boy, Terrence, sitting on a cliff next to a girl around his age, the Basilisk swiftly retreated into the forest, landing among the trees. Keeping her eyes on Terrence, she began to change her shape. She shrunk drastically, and her wings moved to her back as a pair of scaly, green legs sprouted from her chest. Her beak melted and became a mouth, and a pair of horns sprouted from behind her head. In less than a minute, the Basilisk had turned into a pale green Terrible Terror. After stretching her new wing muscles for a minute, the dragon hung one of its wings limply at its side and burst out onto the cliff, shrieking in mock pain.

Terrence and Camicazi turned towards the noise to see what appeared to be a harmless Terrible Terror with a broken wing. Camicazi went to help it, but Terrence stayed where he was. He'd fallen for the Basilisk's tricks before, and he'd learned when to expect an ambush from the shape-shifting dragon. He didn't realize that Camicazi was headed for the seemingly injured dragon until she was a few feet away from it.

"Camicazi, stop!"

Startled by Terrence's sudden cry, Camicazi froze, the Terrible Terror snapped out of its innocent stance and shape-shifted back to its true form. Camicazi stepped back as the Basilisk reared its head back, ready to strike. But the Haddock girl was ready. As the dragon lunged forward, Camicazi summersaulted out of the way, stopping on the dragon's right side. The Basilisk paid no attention to her. With Camicazi out of the way, the shape-shifting dragon had a clear shot of Terrence. Realizing that she was trying to deal with a dragon she wasn't familiar with, and without her trusty axe, Camicazi did the only thing she could do at that moment.

"DAD!"

Despite being up near his hut on the other side of the Dragon's Edge, Hiccup still somehow heard his daughter's cry. Perhaps it was a father's intuition, or that Camicazi was quite loud when it came to shouting. Either way, Hiccup took off in the direction of his daughter's cry, calling for Toothless. The Night Fury snapped to attention, bounding over to meet his friend. "Camicazi's in trouble!" Hiccup exclaimed as he mounted Toothless, who was stunned to heard that statement. Normally, Camicazi wasn't one to get into danger, and Toothless knew that well. But he didn't hesitate to take flight after Hiccup clicked his prosthetic into the stirrup.

Hic and Draco had also heard Camicazi's shout, and they were also heading to help on their respective Night Furies. Aludrnari and Unn were disappointed to see their friends go, but were able to catch up using Peril and Arluin.

Hiccup and Toothless were the first ones to reach the cliff, and they weren't surprised to find the Basilisk readying to attack Terrence. Toothless wasted no time firing a plasma blast at the ground in front of the Basilisk as a warning shot. The Basilisk looked up at Toothless, and started shape-shifting once again. This time, she turned into a Night Fury. Hiccup was shocked to see the Basilisk change its shape to that resembling Toothless, except she had both tailfins. Obviously Terrence wasn't lying when he said the Basilisk could shape-shift.

The fully transformed Night Fury turned to glare at Terrence, her green eyes causing him to freeze in fear. He'd never seen a real Night Fury before, but he knew as well as anyone that a Night Fury never missed a shot. If the Basilisk/Night Fury fired at him now, he'd be dead for sure.

But something else caught the Basilisk/Night Fury's attention, and she shifted her gaze to the sky behind Terrence. Turning around, Terrence saw a small group of dragons, A Monstrous Nightmare, a Gronkle, and a Hideous Zippleback; heading their way. Upon closer examination, Terrence realized that the dragons all had people riding them. Hiccup smiled as Sharpshot flew over and perched on his shoulder. He'd taken the liberty of sending a message to the riders back on Berk in case they needed reinforcements. And they'd arrived just in time.

The Basilisk shifted back to its true form as the Dragon Riders came closer. It hissed at Terrence before suddenly shifting its attention to the saddlebag on Snotlout's saddle. It sniffed the air twice before it let out a loud shriek and started flying towards Snotlout and Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare barely had enough time to dodge the Basilisk's assault. The Basilisk turned right around and flew back towards Snotlout. But she was blocked by the twins on Barf and Belch, spewing gas and igniting it with their sparks. The Basilisk quickly flew down and under the gases before they exploded, morphing into a Scauldron and diving underwater, avoiding taking any damage from the flames. The Basilisk/Scauldron's head resurfaced and spewed a blast of hot water at Hookfang, who crashed down onto the Dragon's Edge, dazed by the power of the blast, his fire-powered scales protecting him from the heat of the water.

As Hookfang crashed down, Terrence saw a flash of a bright blue tucked into Snotlout's saddlebag. It looked like a giant gemstone of some kind. Terrence watched as the Basilisk shifted back to its true form and flew straight towards Snotlout. Thinking quickly, Terrence lunged forward and grabbed the large gemstone, and started to run in the other direction. The Basilisk quickly shifted its gaze back to Terrence and took off after him. Looking over his shoulder, Terrence saw the Basilisk following him. To prove his theory correct, Terrence tossed the gemstone to Hic, who had just arrived on Toothless Jr. Hic was barely able to catch the gemstone. The Basilisk instantly took off after him and Toothless Jr.

Terrence watched in amazement as the Basilisk's eyes followed the gemstone, and he realized that it wasn't him the Basilisk wanted.

It wanted the gemstone.

And it had thought he had stolen it.

Somehow, Camicazi ended up with the gemstone in her grasp, and the Basilisk glared at her with its piercing eyes. Gulping nervously, Camicazi stepped forward, holding the gemstone out in front of her. "Here, Basilisk," she said in a calm voice, "Take the gemstone." "Don't you think we should give it a name instead of just calling it 'Basilisk?'" Hic asked. "Like what?" asked a rather interested Draco. Hic thought for a moment.

"What about Bigbee?"

The Basilisk briefly shifted her gaze to Hic, as if responding to the name. "I think she likes it," Draco said, "Try calling her." Hic cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Bigbee!"

The Basilisk turned her head to look at Hic fully. Deciding that she liked the name, Bigbee turned back to Camicazi, her eyes landing on the gemstone. Camicazi carefully and gently placed the gemstone on the ground in front of Bigbee, trying not to look hostile. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see what Bigbee would do.

Then, without warning, Bigbee lunged.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger!**

 **I'll admit, it was rushed, but I can tell you that the next chapters will be longer, and have more detail. Just as long as I can keep my head in the game. And I'll admit, it's not an easy thing to do when you're trying to handle all sorts of college work.**

 **I'll get back to you guys soon, and be sure to leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

 **Now let's see what happens with the Basilisk, shall we?**

* * *

Terrence nearly had a heart attack when he saw the Basilisk, or Bigbee, lunge at Camicazi. In the short time they'd gotten to know each other, he'd grown a sort of attraction towards the girl. She was the first to understand what he'd been going through, and the first girl he'd talked to for more than five minutes. There was no way he was going to lose his friend. He was just about to take action when he heard a strange and somewhat unfamiliar sound. Like something was purring. Moving slowly around the Basilisk's hide, he realized that she was curled around the giant gemstone, with Camicazi standing by unharmed, much to his and Hiccup's relief.

Bigbee paid no attention whatsoever to the humans watching her as she nuzzled the gemstone, purring in content. Before anyone could let out a sigh of relief, large cracks suddenly appeared on the gemstone, spreading fast. Terrence gasped. If the gemstone broke, he was sure that Bigbee would go on another rampage.

Bigbee watched calmly as the gemstone broke apart, revealing a smaller version of the Basilisk, albeit cuter. The newborn Basilisk dragonet chirped, which sounded a lot like it was saying "Mama!"

Somewhere behind Terrence, Fishlegs gasped. "Mother of a gem, Bigbee's a mother! And that gem's not a gem, it's an egg!"

The Basilisk dragonet chirped again, "Mama!" Bigbee cooed to assure her baby that she was nearby. The dragonet stumbled out of what was left of the gemstone-looking egg and into the warmth of his mother's wings. Anyone and everyone watching would have been touched by the moment had they not remembered that the egg had been tucked into Snotlout's saddlebag. Bigbee picked up her head and hissed at the greedy Jorgenson, who found himself being glared at by everyone present. "What?!" he declared, "Do you expect me to automatically know that thing was an egg?!" "But you should have known better than to take it," Hiccup stated. Bigbee hissed in agreement.

Terrence shifted his attention away from the arguing adults and looked at the baby Basilisk. It was hard for him to believe that this was the same species of dragon that was chasing after him all those days. It looked a lot less dangerous, and it was curious about the world, in a manner similar to Mortem. Moving slowly, and crouching down, Terrence reached out a hand towards the baby. Bigbee noticed and made no move to stop him. She'd mistaken the teen for the one who had taken her unhatched baby away, and she was hoping he'd forgive her for the misunderstanding. She watched calmly as Terrence's hand came to rest on her newborn son's head.

Terrence chuckled to himself as he pet the dragonet, all of his fear of the creatures vanishing. Camicazi made her way around Bigbee's hide to see her new friend interacting with the Basilisk's newly hatched baby. Clearly he knew more about dragons than she had originally anticipated. As hard as it was for her to admit it, she was beginning to fall for the black-haired boy. The only question for her was whether or not he returned her feelings.

"Do you want to pet Scales?"

Terrence's question snapped Camicazi back to the present, and she glanced down at the baby Basilisk whom Terrence had just named Scales. Reaching out, she patted Scales on the head, causing him to purr in delight. Terrence smiled as he watched. He had to admit he was falling for the girl, and fast. But he knew better than to just tell her. He had to get to know her more, and eventually decide whether or not he truly cared for her or not. Besides, he didn't know whether or not she returned his feelings.

It didn't take long for Hiccup to notice that Terrence and Camicazi were interacting with the Basilisks. What really bothered him was how close together they were sitting. The only thing keeping him from confronting Terrence was the sound of an extremely angry Astrid hitting Snotlout upside the head with his own hammer.

Scales marveled at the sight of so many strange yet magnificent beings that had been in the presence of his birth. Though he had to admit the two-legs were rather strange looking, and behaved rather strangely, they did have a gentle touch.

And he loved to be petted.

* * *

Terrence soon found himself inside one of the huts with Scales perched on his shoulder like a parrot, but he didn't mind. He no longer had a reason to fear the Basilisk anymore, now that all the confusion had been cleared.

Turns out, Snotlout had found Bigbee's egg in a cave somewhere away from Berk, and had taken it back with him, since it looked like a large gemstone. When Bigbee couldn't find her egg, she assumed that Terrence, whose tribe lived not far from her cave, had stolen it. He did go out for long walks into the forest all the time to clear his thoughts, so it wasn't wrong for Bigbee to think that he might've stumbled into her cave and taken her egg. But Terrence knew better than to steal from a mother dragon, and Bigbee realized that, too.

Not that he minded.

Terrence reached up and offered a herring to Scales, who gobbled it down in an instant. Sniffing the air, Scales hopped down from Terrence's shoulder and scurried over to a basket filled with more herring. Terrence followed, knowing that he couldn't let Scales eat too much. The teen's movements caught Scales's attention, and the Basilisk dragonet looked up at him with big, cute eyes. Terrence held out his arm, and Scales instantly hopped up, flapping his wings for an extra boost, and perched perfectly on Terrence's arm.

Camicazi was watching from the doorway, her trusty axe in her grasp. She'd gone to ask Terrence if he wanted to practice with her, but seeing as he was occupied with Scales, she decided it would be best to come back later.

However, Scales's nose picked up the Haddock girl's scent, and he squeaked in her direction. Camicazi nearly froze, but she retained her posture and walked inside, her eyes locked on Terrence.

Terrence looked back at her, unable to speak at first, as he was marveling how pretty she looked. He would've stayed that way the whole evening if he hadn't realized that Camicazi was actually _in the same room as he was_. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Is something wrong?" Camicazi shook her head. "No," she said, "I was just wondering if you'd maybe like to come practice with me."

Terrence was stunned. "Practice? As in, like, throwing weapons?" Camicazi shrugged. "You don't have to come if you're not the fighting type," she said, "I just thought I'd go with someone for once." Terrence shook his head. "No, I can come," he said, "I just don't want to embarrass myself, really." "What's there to be embarrassed by?" Camicazi asked. Terrence shrugged. "Inexperience," he replied. Camicazi set her axe down and approached her friend, who nervously stood still. "I'm not that judgmental," Camicazi said, "I learned from that mistake years ago. I used to think that being like my mother in fighting style was important, but it wasn't as important as being a good friend, or sister." She started to turn away, heading to retrieve her axe. "You don't have to come with me, I can just..." Terrence suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Camicazi?"

The Haddock girl looked back at him. He smiled. "If it'll make you happy, I'd love to come with you."

His answer made Camicazi smile. Grabbing her axe in one hand, and taking Terrence's hand in the other, she led the black-haired teen outside the hut and into the forest.

Hiccup was watching them from his own hut, Toothless lying beside him. He'd admit he was a bit protective of Camicazi, with her being his daughter and everything, but he could tell that Terrence was a good person. A squawking noise made him aware of Astrid flying over on Stormfly, obviously returning from seeing Snotlout off. She'd somehow managed to frighten the Jorgenson off of the Dragon's Edge, with the aid of an agitated Bigbee. After Stormfly landed, she promptly dismounted her dragon and went to join her husband, who pulled her in close in response. "Remember when we were kids?" he asked her, taking her hand in his own. Astrid shrugged. "I usually try not to," she said. Hiccup chuckled. "Plenty of dragons to train, no responsibilities, no war, no kids to worry about, just you and me."

A sudden warble from above directed his attention to the now present Mortem, who'd been listening in. "Don't think I forgot about you, Mortem," Hiccup said, chuckling. Mortem tried to mimic his chuckle, causing Toothless to cover his ear flaps with his paws. The sight made Astrid laugh, directing Hiccup's attention back to her. Turning so that he was facing her fully, he placed his hands on her waist. "When did I get so lucky to have you in my life?" he asked. Astrid just smiled at him.

"I love you, Dragon Boy."

Even to this day, Hiccup didn't get tired of hearing that.

"I love you, too, my Divine Beauty."

And he made sure to seal those words with a gentle, loving kiss.

* * *

 **Anyone else enjoying this? I'll be the first to admit the chapters seem to be getting shorter than they used to be, but that's what happens when it takes you a while to come up with new ideas. I'll try to keep things going as best I can, and be sure to leave me some reviews.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

 **I thought I could use this chapter to show how close the Haddock kids have grown to their "friends." Perhaps even take the opportunity to strengthen some of the relationships...**

* * *

Terrence ended up spending the rest of the evening out in the forest with Camicazi. To speak with honesty, he didn't mind. He couldn't help admitting to himself how much he was falling for the tough Haddock girl. Sure he'd had small crushes on other girls, but they were all dismissed due to his constant run from Bigbee. This crush was different. It felt more real, more intimate. And he had reason to believe that Camicazi was having a similar experience with her feelings.

Camicazi.

The way she threw her axe at those trees and wooden targets with such precision and strength, it only made him feel more and more fuzzy inside.

If only he had the guts to say it.

Now, he understood completely how Camicazi hadn't trusted him at first, and he'd admit that he wouldn't have trusted someone who claimed they were being chased by a shape-shifting dragon, either. But he could guarantee that he was no liar, and he had no intention of using dragons in ways some of the Dragon Riders' old enemies had. Even then, he was sure Camicazi would still be hesitant to trust him.

"Terrence?"

The sound of his name shook Terrence out of his stupor. Camicazi has stopped practicing, and was looking at him with concern. Terrence cleared his throat before speaking. "Sorry, I was just thinking." Camicazi set her axe down on a nearby rock. "Want to talk about it?" she asked. Terrence shrugged. "I don't know," he muttered. "Is it about Bigbee?" Camicazi asked. Terrence sighed. There was no stopping her, was there?

"I was actually thinking about you."

That was, quite honestly, what Camicazi had thought he'd say. Terrence didn't know it, but Camicazi had been thinking about him as well, even when she was throwing her axe at the targets she had set up herself. She'd hoped that by spending more time with him, she'd get to know him better, so she could see if he was really the one for her. But now she seemed sure of it. There wasn't another guy quite like Terrence.

And that was just fine to Camicazi.

Without any hesitation, Camicazi rushed forward and hugged him. Terrence, shocked by what was happening, didn't respond at first, but as soon as he registered what was happening, he hesitantly returned the embrace. It had been a while since he last felt this kind of comfort, and it made him feel warm inside. He was so into the moment, he thought his heart would burst out of his chest at any moment. His passion for the girl was growing rapidly, and burning like a dragon's fire. Never before had he felt anything like this, and it was honestly the most wonderful feeling he'd had in a long time. He thought he could hear her crying softly, though he couldn't think of a reason why she'd be feeling that way.

That's when it finally clicked.

It all made sense to him. The way she talked to him, her wanting to spend time with him, the embrace, everything. They'd only known each other for a little less than a day, but they had come to know one another well enough to be friends, and maybe something more. Terrence had fallen for the girl's strong, yet caring, form and personality, and he could tell from her actions that she had fallen for him as well. The very thought of it made his heart beat faster than a Gronkle's wings. Quickly coming to a decision, he hugged Camicazi tighter, which took her slightly by surprise.

"Terrence?"

"Camicazi, I know we've only known each other for a day, but I have this feeling when I'm around you. I feel like I've known you my whole life. I have this sort of familiarity with you, but at the same time, I feel like I don't know much about you. Looking back at being chased by the Basilisk has made me realize that I don't always have to run and hide from things I don't understand. Maybe we relate to each other in ways we might not know, and I'd be willing to learn if you'd want to learn with me."

Camicazi listened to everything Terrence had to say, her insides turning to mush as he continued.

"I understand why you didn't trust me at first, and I'll admit I wouldn't have trusted myself at that time, either, but if we can learn to trust each other in less than a day, who knows what else we can accomplish together. I don't have anywhere else to go, and I'd be willing to stay with your family if you want me to. I can assure you that I won't force you into anything you don't like doing, and...I keep thinking that...maybe, someday, we could be...more that friends, you know?"

Stunned at his words, Camicazi realized what he might have been trying to say. The very thought of hearing those three little words coming from a boy she may have only just gotten to know, but was one of the bravest and most kindest person she'd met that wasn't a part of her family, made her heart do a flip. However, it was possible they weren't quite ready to be in a relationship, but she knew they could always start at being just friends. She'd been finding herself relating to Terrence's uncertainty about his true self, and what he was meant to be, and she had been learning to accept it.

There was no denying it now.

She pulled out of the embrace and looked into Terrence's eyes. "I've been feeling the same way about you," she said, "But maybe we're not ready for a relationship yet. I was thinking, maybe, we could start out as friends." Terrence responded with a small smile, and a friendly kiss on her forehead.

"I'll wait as long as it takes."

* * *

Meanwhile, Draco and Aludrnari were hanging out in one of the other riders' cabins, Jet and Peril waiting outside, since the hut didn't have enough room for the two dragons. The teens had been trying to find time to relax after the whole Bigbee incident, but the awkward silence between them wasn't make them feel very comfortable. Draco had a hunch that Aludrnari had wanted to talk to him about something, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be all that simple.

Especially if she was thinking of breaking up with him.

The two of them had been almost inseparable, always obliging to grow closer together and reach new heights. But Draco had always known he wasn't as good with girls as he was with dragons. He understood if Aludrnari wasn't as sure about their relationship as she appeared to be. But the question was whether or not he'd be able to handle it.

He needed to be strong.

He looked in the direction of his girlfriend to find her nervously wringing her hands. This was yet another confirmation of his theory. If this was a breakup conversation, he needed to be ready for it. But he couldn't be sure that it would be.

"Draco?"

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear Aludrnari utter his name. Clearing his throat, he went and sat in a chair next to her. After noticing that she was still nervous, Draco reached out and took Aludrnari's hand in his own.

"It's okay, Nari."

His comforting voice reassured the nervous girl, and she took a breath before finally speaking, "I've had a lot of time to think about our relationship, and I'm honestly not sure where this could lead us. I love you, Dray, but I'm just not sure what we're supposed to do next."

Draco pondered Aludrnari's verbal concern. He was certainly no expert on boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, but he didn't really have the nerve to ask his parents about it, either. But he was willing to ask if it would help him and Aludrnari understand their relationship better. Her happiness mattered as much to him as his own happiness did, and he was willing to do anything to make sure they were both happy.

Then again, he remembered his father saying something similar to that whenever one of his kids asked him about the days when he and Astrid were their age.

But would it work for Draco?

"Aludrnari..."

The girl suddenly froze in what seemed to be surprise. After getting over her shock, she muttered, "It's been a while since you've called me that." Draco gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand lightly. "I'd be willing to help you through this," he said, "No matter how long it might take us, I'm sure we'll figure out the meaning of our relationship." Aludrnari smiled back at him, leaning up and kissing him softly.

"I'll wait as long as it takes."

* * *

Hic had almost had it with his nervousness. He'd been wanting to talk to Unn about their relationship, and tell her how he felt, but every time he tried, he'd always stutter nervously. He couldn't let that get in the way of what he needed to do. Not when he might not get as many chances as he had now, with the two of them being on Dragon's Edge together. But they'd be heading back to Berk soon, and that would mean a lot of excitement upon the discovery of a new kind of dragon.

The two teenagers were sitting out on a bluff overlooking the entire hideout, and Unn could tell that something was troubling her boyfriend. She hesitated before scooting a bit closer to him.

"Hic?"

He nearly jumped at the sound of his name. Why did he always have to be this nervous around Unn? Why couldn't he just suck it up and tell her right then and there how he felt about her? Knowing he might not get another chance, he breathed in deeply and slowly let it out.

"Unn, I..."

Could he say it?

Maybe he could.

But something stopped him. He pondered for a minute and realized that maybe he and Unn weren't ready to say the three big words just yet. They were only thirteen, after all. Surely she'd understand if he said it in a more friendly manner.

"...I really like you," Hic finally stated, "As in more than a friend."

Unn's heart sank a bit before realizing what her boyfriend might have been trying to say. She understood that he was too nervous to say the three words, and she'd been having her doubts as well. But Unn knew very well that there was more to their relationship than just awkward silences and petty conversations. She truly cared for Hic, and she wanted him to know that. Scooting closer, she hugged him gently, so as not to startle him.

Hic could have swore he felt his heart swell. Every bit of advice he'd been given from his father didn't amount to this. The girl had been his friend since their childhood, and all throughout those years she had been by his side, helping him when he was hurt in any way, there was no doubt why he'd fallen in love with her. If she cared for him enough to support him like that, then there didn't have to be anything holding him back from an opportunity to spend time with her. Tearing up, he hugged her back tightly, as if he was afraid she'd slip away.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," he said, "I want to tell you something, but I'm not sure if now is the right time. I'm afraid that by the time I finally get to say it, it'll be too late."

Unn could hear the fear hidden in her boyfriend's voice, and she hugged him tighter in reassurance.

"I'll wait as long as it takes."

* * *

Mortem lay down near the edge of an abnormally large cliff somewhere on the island, the interactions between his adopted siblings and their "friends" playing out before him. The kind Red Death knew love when he saw it, and there was little doubt that it was blossoming within the hearts of his brothers and sister. He barely acknowledged Fera's approach until she lay down next to him.

" _We've come a long way, haven't we?_ " Fera asked, nuzzling her mate. Mortem gave a slight nod. " _I'll admit it,_ " he said, " _We've all done incredible things. But I wonder how long it will take for Camicazi and the boys to finally start families of their own?_ " Fera nudged him. " _Don't forget you'll have to choose an heir for the title of Alpha Dragon,_ " she said. Mortem rolled his six eyes, " _How could I forget? Either Rex or Roan would make a fine suitor, but I don't want any conflict between the two._ "

Fera knew very well why Mortem was worried. With what had happened with her father, Benignus, and her uncle, Tyranno, it was reasonable for them to show concern for conflict over the title of Alpha. " _Perhaps the decision can wait until we return home,_ " she said. Mortem nuzzled her before turning his attention back to his adopted siblings. He shook his head.

" _Humans are weird._ "

* * *

 **I'm so sorry this took such a long time, but that's what happens when you mix college homework, upcoming finals, and writers' block! I can't keep any promises, but I'm hoping that I'll have enough fresh ideas to publish the next chapter a lot sooner! If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for what can happen next, leave a review telling me what you think. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

 **I'm so sorry it's been so long since the last update, but that's what happens when you have to juggle college, work, and FanFiction. I'll try hard to update a little faster, but unfortunately, I can't make any promises.**

* * *

Terrence didn't really have anywhere else to go, so he followed the Haddock family back to Berk, riding on Bigbee and cradling Scales in his arms. He had trouble keeping his eyes off of Camicazi, but he somehow managed to make it without her noticing. Terrence wasn't sure how Hiccup would react to him having a crush on Camicazi, but he knew that there was little chance of it being all that pretty. Talking to the father of the girl you had a crush on was no picnic, and Terrence knew it.

When they did get back to Berk, Hiccup had to arrange a meeting in order to explain all that had happened while he and his family were the Dragon's Edge. Terrence sat on the steps of the Great Hall, nervously wringing his hands. Scales, who was sitting in the nervous teen's lap, looked up at him in curiosity. Purring, the baby Basilisk nuzzled his human friend affectionately. Terrence gave the dragonet a small smile, and patted him on the head. It was hard to be unhappy at such innocence.

But Terrence still didn't know how these people would treat him. He'd been on the run from an angry dragon, and had little time to stop and make friends with anyone. As far as he was concerned, Camicazi and Scales were his only friends.

Camicazi.

Oh, how tough and brave and pretty she was. What more could you expect from Astrid's daughter? She might be a Haddock, but she was a Hofferson by heart. Her experience with a double-bladed axe only added on to the list of things about her that fascinated him.

Terrence suddenly snapped himself out of his reverie.

 _Odin almighty, I've fallen in love with her._

His look of horror and shock slowly turned into a smile, which Scales tried to mimic.

* * *

Camicazi found Terrence on the steps outside the Great Hall, with Scales in his lap. He was smiling, which she found both interesting and strange. There was a chance he was thinking about her, but she strangely didn't mind that possibility. Perhaps her interest in him was stronger than she originally thought.

She didn't know when Terrence noticed her, but the next thing she knew, he was standing in front of her, Scales cradled in his arms.

"Do you want to help me train them?"

Camicazi looked at both Terrence and Scales as she registered what Terrence had asked. "I thought maybe you wanted to help me train Bigbee and Scales," he said, "There's still a lot for us to learn about them, after all." Scales squeaked in agreement. _And it might help me get closer to Camicazi,_ Terrence thought to himself.

Camicazi shrugged, and then smiled. "Sure, I'd love to help," she said.

Terrence's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. _She said yes!_

Scales looked up at his human friend with a look of curiosity etched onto his face.

* * *

Around that same time, Draco and Aludrnari were with their respective dragons, flying over the island of Berk and examining the forest.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Aludrnari asked from upon Peril's back. The red Typhoomerang wore a matching expression of uncertainty.

Draco gave his girlfriend a nod in confirmation. "No one's been taking a lot of time to explore these forests, and we don't know what kinds of creatures could be dwelling here," he said, "Besides, it'll be good practice for when I go out exploring while Camicazi is on her chief shift."

"If she'll want to do that, anyway," Aludrnari added. Camicazi was more of a fighter, like her mother, than a leader, like her father, and they both knew that.

Draco shrugged. "We're twins," he said, "There's a chance that Dad will have us both take the role as leader of the village."

"But there's also a chance he may not," Aludrnari said.

Draco sighed and slumped backwards onto Jet's back. The teenaged Night Fury shot his rider a look of pity. Draco lay on the dragon's back for a while before noticing what appeared to be another Night Fury flying quite a ways above them. Squinting his eyes, he tried to get a good look at the people riding the dragon.

 _Is that...Hic and Unn?_

* * *

Hic had to admit to himself that this might not have been his best idea. Taking the girl you had a thing for on a romantic flight upon dragonback seemed like a good idea whenever Hiccup told him about the flight that he and Toothless had taken Astrid on shortly after she discovered the Night Fury. At this point, Hic was desperate for any kind of opportunity to tell Unn his true feelings, but maybe this wasn't the greatest strategy (if you could call it that).

"You know, you didn't have to do this," Unn said from her position behind Hic in the saddle. Toothless Jr. gave a nod in agreement. Hic sighed, "I just wanted to do something nice for you," he said, "I've been wanting to spend more time with you these past few days, and I've been asking my Dad about what to do."

Unn reached around Hic's torso and hugged him close. "Maybe you should stop trying to be your father," she said, "And start trying to be you."

Hic thought for a moment and decided it was worth a try.

 _What would I do in a situation like this?_ he asked himself.

Probably stutter and chicken out at the last minute, but he had been trying really hard to grow out of that habit. An idea suddenly formed in the back of his mind, and he was sure it was better than the one he'd just tried.

Slowly, but surely, he placed his hand on top of Unn's.

 _Come on, you can do this,_ he said to himself.

"Unn, I..."

He stopped, cleared his throat, and continued in a louder, more confident voice.

"Unn, I...I love..."

Before he could finish, a green and red figure flew past Toothless Jr., who suddenly turned sharply as the figure made its way in the direction of the village. The Night Fury's sharp and sudden turn nearly threw both of his riders off the saddle. "What is it?" Hic asked his dragon friend. Toothless Jr. only shook his head and pressed on. Upon getting closer, Hic realized that the figure that passed them was a Snaptrapper, who had a long, bloody gash on its side.

"I think something's wrong," Unn said, "We should follow that dragon."

Hic reluctantly urged Toothless Jr. forward, silently cursing to himself.

 _So close!_

* * *

Terrence and Camicazi had happened upon a stretch of trees that neither of them were familiar with. Upon a closer inspection, they looked even less like trees, which was quite odd.

"This is quite an interesting find," Draco said, placing his hand on one of the tree trunks.

Aludrnari felt a small tremor, and shifted over to her boyfriend. "Something tells me we shouldn't be here," she muttered.

Draco turned to look at her. "Like what?" he asked.

An even bigger and more intense tremor started, and the ground beneath them suddenly moved. They both held onto a tree as the surface moved and shifted, as though trying to shake them off. Then a large dragon head with wood-like skin rose up out of the ground, and turned to look at the two humans and their dragons with lazy, yet kind eyes.

It took them a minute to realize they were standing _on the dragon's back_.

"Like that!" Aludrnari said, terrified at what was occurring.

Before anything else could happen, both teens went running to their dragons and mounted them, taking off of the large dragon's forest-like back. The forest dragon stared at them calmly, and soon noticed that they were flying away. Letting out a small groan, it lifted itself up out of its napping spot and started trudging after the terrified riders.

* * *

"Scales, stay!"

Terrence slowly backed away from the baby Basilisk, keeping his hand up to signal Scales to stay in the spot where he was sitting. The dragonet's body was trembling with the urge to get up and run over to his caring handler, but Terrence's outstretched hand reminded him that he was to stay in that exact spot until he said it was okay to go.

Terrence continued to back away until he was standing right next to Camicazi. The Haddock girl nodded to Fishlegs, who was sitting nearby with the Book of Dragons and a charcoal pen. The Ingerman gave them a thumbs-up. Taking the cue, Terrence let his hand hang for a few moments.

"Scales..."

The dragonet flinched violently at the sound of his name, his muscles twitching in anticipation. In one swift motion, Terrence dropped his hand.

"...Come!"

A split second later, the Basilisk dragonet took off running like an angry Speed Stinger, his little legs pumping wildly as he sprinted up to Terrence. The black-haired teen barely had enough time to react before Scales leaped into his arms and tackled him playfully. Terrence groaned as the eager dragonet showered his face with friendly licks. _How'd I do?_ he seemed to be asking.

"We'll have to work on that later," Terrence muttered in between Scales's licking.

Camicazi laughed at the sight of Terrence being tackled by a baby dragon. Terrence gave her a mock smile as he tried to pull an overly happy Scales off of him. To her horror, Camicazi found that his smile was making her blush.

 _Odin almighty, I've fallen in love with him._

Surprisingly, she found herself smiling at this realization.

Suddenly, there was a low bellow, and a large forest dragon appeared out of nowhere, chasing two dragons with Draco and Aludrnari on their backs. Hic and Unn were flying back as well, chasing a wounded Snaptrapper that soon collapsed in the middle of the plaza.

"Any idea what that might be?" Terrence asked when he saw the large dragon. Camicazi shook her head fast enough to give herself a headache.

At that time, Hiccup and Astrid had just exited the Great Hall, with Toothless and Stormfly following. Their eyes instantly widened at the enormous forest dragon approaching the village. Hiccup sighed.

"Berk, we have a problem."

* * *

 **Well, what do you think? I got this done faster than I thought I might, thanks to some help from a good friend of mine with the penname OlanaTheWarmblood. In case you all were wondering, the forest dragon is a Foreverwing, from the game Rise of Berk. Feel free to look on the HTTYD Wiki to learn more about this dragon. And what could have injured the Snaptrapper? There's only one way to find out, but in the meantime, leave a review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

 **I've really been looking for a way to get a Foreverwing into the story, and a friend of mine helped me come up with this. Might take me a while to figure out how the Foreverwing will associate with Mortem and his family, though. And I'm having a hard time deciding who Mortem should pick as heir to be the Alpha.**

* * *

The Snaptrapper landed in the middle of the plaza, growling and hissing at all who were near it, despite gradually getting weaker by the large wound in its side. Hic and Unn were the first ones to land, and both of them went running to where the four-headed dragon had collapsed. Hic kept trying to get closer to the dragon, only to nearly get his hand bitten off by one of the Snaptrapper's four heads.

Draco and Aludrnari quickly landed their dragons near the Great Hall, the gigantic dragons following them all the way. The dragon suddenly stopped as a strong sense of fear and confusion suddenly came over it.

But the feelings weren't its own.

The dragon followed its senses to the entrance of the Great Hall, leaning in and finding itself staring at a confused and frightened Hiccup. Even underneath the Dragon Rider's confusion as to what was going on, and fear of what he was looking at, the Foreverwing could sense the man's kindness towards the dragons around him. She was so focused on Hiccup she didn't notice Mortem approaching until he was right beside her.

" _I've never seen you around before,_ " Mortem said as he examined the Foreverwing. The Foreverwing turned her attention to the Red Death standing beside her.

" _I haven't seen you around here either,_ " she said, " _I've been asleep for quite a long time. I had to hide from the Vikings who were hunting and killing dragons during the war, so I camouflaged myself within the woods. My name's Silva, it means 'forest' in my language._ "

" _My name's Mortem,_ " the Alpha replied, " _I'm a Red Death. What are you, Silva?_ "

" _I am a Foreverwing,_ " Silva said, " _And I must say, I'm quite intrigued by this human's compassion and kindness towards our subjects._ "

" _You mean Hiccup?_ " Mortem asked, " _He's my adopted father. He's been training dragons since before I hatched. His friend is a Night Fury he calls Toothless._ "

" _As interested as I am,_ " Silva said, " _I'm afraid we don't have time to discuss this right now. This Snaptrapper has been wounded by a Sword Stealer, and will die if we don't do something._ "

While the two dragons conversed, Hic kept trying to help the Snaptrapper, but with little success. "Come on," he muttered as he tried once again to pet the dragon, "I just want to help." But the Snaptrapper kept growling and hissing at the boy.

No longer able to see his son put himself in danger, Hiccup forced his attention off of the Foreverwing and practically ran over to the plaza, where the Snaptrapper was. Hic was about to advance again when Hiccup stopped him. "Let me handle this," the older Haddock said before slowly making his way towards the angry four-headed dragon. The result was more growling and hissing that seemed louder than it was before.

" _The poor thing needs to be calmed down,_ " said Silva, " _Snaptrappers like the rain, but there isn't a cloud in the sky for miles._ "

" _I think I can help with that,_ " Mortem said before leaning down and taking in a large mouthful of water.

Even with Hiccup's dragon training expertise, the Snaptrapper kept growling and hissing, despite the shearing pain in its side from the bloody gash. If this kept up, the dragon would collapse from blood loss.

Hic watched nervously as his father tried unsuccessfully to calm down the Snaptrapper. He unconsciously wrapped his arm around Unn and pulled her in close for comfort. Neither would admit it, but the close proximity to each other sent butterflies to their stomachs.

The Snaptrapper was about to try and bite Hiccup's hand off when it suddenly noticed that there were droplets of water falling down on it from above it. As suspicious as it was, it seemed to be raining. Partly because of its love for rain, and partly because of blood loss, the Snaptrapper lay down on the ground, the anger disappearing from its eyes.

Everyone simultaneously looked up to see Mortem pouring water down in a similar way as he did whenever Hiccup was covered in dragon licks courtesy of Toothless. This was giving the impression to the Snaptrapper that it was raining.

Taking the opportunity, Hiccup rushed forward and began examining the Snaptrapper's wound. It looked deep, but there was a possibility of saving the dragon if they worked quickly.

"Draco, go get help."

Without hesitation, Draco obeyed his father's command, mounting Jet and taking off in the direction of the healer's. Aludrnari watched him go with a worried look in her eyes. She wanted to go with him, but because the Snaptrapper's wound was so large, Hiccup was going to need all the help he could get until the dragon could be given the proper treatment.

Luckily, Fishlegs was still around from studying the Basilisks to help out. Thinking quickly, he grabbed some old rags to use to clean the Snaptrapper's wound. This caught the attention of the Snaptrapper, who began hissing again.

Bigbee, who was watching from afar, realized that the humans needed her help, and immediately shifted her form so that she looked exactly like a Snaptrapper herself. Approaching with caution, she made her way to the Snaptrapper, who snarled at her.

" _Are you a domestic?_ " the four-headed dragon asked.

" _A domestic?_ " Bigbee repeated.

" _You side with these humans?_ " the Snaptrapper asked.

" _Oh, that,_ " Bigbee said, " _Not entirely. But I can tell you that they want to help you._ "

" _I don't need the help of some puny two-leggers!_ " snapped the wild dragon, " _I go it alone! I don't need..._ " He trailed off as he began to feel light-headed, as though he were about to slip into unconsciousness.

" _As much as you may hate to admit it,_ " Bigbee said, " _You DO need help. Especially from these humans. You're losing too much of your energy. Let them help you, and you will get your strength back. They've helped out so many other dragons, and they can help you, too._ "

The Snaptrapper was too light-headed to reply, though Bigbee assumed he would have given her another snappy comment.

While the Snaptrapper was distracted, Hiccup and the others got to work cleaning his wound. "We need to work fast," Hiccup said, "This dragon won't make it if we don't do something." The very thought of that made Hic's stomach feel as though it were filled with rocks, in addition to butterflies.

And that was not a good combination.

Nervousness suddenly replaced by determination, Hic rushed forward to join Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs in cleaning and tending to the Snaptrapper's wounds. While he was doing this, he suddenly noticed something shiny, and sharp, embedded within the wound. Without thinking, he reached in and pulled it out.

It was a dragon scale.

A Sword Stealer dragon scale, to be exact.

Had that bit remained in the Snaptrapper's wound, it would have become infected.

Pocketing the scale, Hic resumed cleaning the wound as best he could.

"It'll be okay, Splitjaw."

He came up with the name without realizing it, but it seemed to fit the dragon's species quite well.

By the time Draco arrived with Gothi and Valka, the Snaptrapper was about ready to pass out. With the help of the older Vikings, they were able to properly bandage, and treat, the four-headed dragon. Mortem and Silva would occasionally lean their heads in and nuzzle the Snaptrapper's body to search for signs of life.

" _He should be fine as soon as these people are finished treating him,_ " the Foreverwing said, " _I'm impressed by the helpfulness of these humans._ "

" _If you want, I can tell you more about them,_ " Mortem said.

Silva nodded, " _I'd like that very much._ "

Terrence, meanwhile, was off to the side, cradling Scales in his arms. The sight of the Snaptrapper's blood was making him feel very light-headed, and he was just about ready to throw up.

"Don't like the sight of blood?"

Camicazi's question only made the queasy feeling in Terrence's stomach worse, but he managed to nod. "Never got used to it, either," he squeaked.

Camicazi noticed his uneasy feeling, and gently turned him so that he was facing away from the wounded Snaptrapper and the people who were treating him.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Hic do anything that helpful," Camicazi said, "Usually he's too nervous to do anything too great."

"Maybe he's growing out of his nervous phase," Terrence said, hoping to get his mind off the blood.

So far, it was working.

A small squeak from Scales gave him an idea.

"Do you think maybe we'd be able to train Bigbee and Scales to shapeshift on command?"

It took a minute for Camicazi to register the question Terrence had asked her.

"Wouldn't we have to figure out how they do it, first?" she asked.

Terrence shrugged.

"Still, it's not a bad idea," Camicazi said.

Her comment made Terrence momentarily freeze.

"Really?"

Camicazi smiled at him, and nodded.

Terrence then suddenly shifted his mind to another topic that he'd been thinking about recently.

"Hey, Camicazi?"

The Haddock girl's smile vanished. "Yeah?"

Terrence hesitated before mustering up enough courage to say it.

"Would it...would it be okay if...if I called you...Cami?"

At first, Camicazi didn't respond, but the next thing he knew, she was in his arms and he was hugging her. He felt her nodding into his shoulder.

"As long as I call you Terry."

Scales, who was caught in the middle, let out a small squeak to remind the two humans that he was there.

But what really made the couple jump apart from one another was a loud roar. Looking up, both of them saw a metallic dragon with a spiny tail and wings, its wide mouth burning with fire.

A Sword Stealer.

* * *

 **I know this isn't my best work, but can't say I didn't try, right? I'd like to send another thank you to my friend, DragonArt1680, for helping me come up with ideas for my stories. It can get tough trying to write these stories while dealing with college, so I'll do the best I can.**

 **Happy Halloween, everyone!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

 **Let's see what will happen to the Haddocks, shall we?**

* * *

The Sword Stealer landed right in the middle of the plaza, just a few feet away from the injured Snaptrapper, Splitjaw. Both Hiccup and Astrid were getting ready to intervene, should the dragons begin fighting. Splitjaw was in no condition for fighting, he'd lost too much blood.

The Haddock kids were all stunned at the appearance of this rare, and dangerous dragon. Sword Stealers were no easy business, especially when they were angry. The sight of the enraged dragon left poor Hic literally frozen with fear. When the youngest Haddock didn't move, Hiccup immediately moved in front of him in a vain attempt to hide him from the Sword Stealer's view. A hyperventilating Hic looked up at his father.

"Dad?"

Hiccup turned to look over his shoulder. The first thing he noticed was that Hic seemed to be trembling. The young Haddock nervously finished his statement.

"I'm scared."

Before Hiccup could reply, the Sword Stealer let out another roar, as if he were demanding them to step aside so he could finish off his enemy. Splitjaw lifted one of his four heads to tell the Sword Stealer to back away, only to collapse once again. The Sword Stealer sneered at the weakened Snaptrapper.

" _That's what you get for invading my territory._ "

Splitjaw looked up at the angry dragon. " _I already told you, Metaltail, I didn't invade your territory! You invaded mine!_ "

Metaltail scoffed and rolled his eyes. " _And of course you're lying!_ "

The sound of his roaring made Hic cower even further behind Hiccup. He knew as well as his father that Splitjaw was in no condition whatsoever to fight the Sword Stealer. Part of him wanted to run out and stand out in between the two rivals, but his usual nervousness was prompting him to stay where he was, behind his father, who he knew would protect him.

Metaltail was about to lunge when Mortem finally decided to intervene. He pushed the Sword Stealer back with one of his large paws and placed it between the two feuding dragons.

" _Metaltail, was it?_ "

The Sword Stealer just snorted and refused to answer.

" _Listen,_ " Mortem said sternly, " _As the Alpha Dragon, it's my job to protect all of my subjects, and help sort out their problems. I would advise that you stand down while we question Splitjaw._ "

Metaltail didn't have time to question the Snaptrapper's new name. He was too busy trying to find a way around the Alpha so he could finish off his enemy. Finally, he got an idea.

" _Fine, I'll stand down,_ " he lied, " _Just let me apologize to...Splitjaw._ "

Mortem hesitated, as if unsure whether to believe him, but then slowly removed his paw. Instantly, Metaltail rushed forward towards Splitjaw, his jaws wide.

Hiccup, not wanting any of his family members to get hurt by the approaching dragon, directed them away from Splitjaw, who was struggling to his feet to fend off Metaltail. Hic was too slow to react, however, and was knocked over when Metaltail rammed Splitjaw, causing him to topple over on top of the boy.

"Hic!"

His parents' worried shouts brought the dazed Haddock to his senses. Using what strength he had (which wasn't all that much) he tried to crawl his way out from underneath the collapsed Snaptrapper.

Metaltail was about to charge again (thinking to himself that he was going to finish off two victims at once), when suddenly Silva held him down by his tail.

" _Please, stop!_ "

Once they were sure everything was safe, Hiccup and Astrid instantly went to help their son out from underneath Splitjaw. Bigbee, meanwhile, rushed to Splitjaw's side.

" _Listen, you may not trust them_ _,_ " the Basilisk said, " _But you need these humans to help you. If you don't let them heal your wounds, you'll die!_ "

That made Splitjaw finally realize that his fate was doomed if he didn't let Hiccup and his family help him. Sighing, he laid down his heads.

" _Alright._ "

With that, Bigbee squawked to Toothless, who bounded over to Hiccup's side and gave him a gentle nudge in Splitjaw's direction, signaling that it was alright for them to tend to the dragon's wounds. After making sure that Hic was uninjured from having a Snaptrapper toppled onto him, he began to slowly approach Splitjaw. The Snaptrapper didn't display any act of aggression or resistance as Hiccup laid a hand on one of his four snouts.

"Okay, let's wrap up these wounds."

Astrid and Valka were instantly by his side, Draco arrived with Gothi, who was carrying medical equipment. It had been a while since the old woman treated a dragon, but she wasn't about to let that fact deter her.

Hic, Unn, Camicazi, and Terrence instead decided to stand by. Hic was still dazed from having a dragon fall on him, Unn was checking to see if he was alright, Terrence was trying not to vomit at how much blood there was, and Camicazi was holding Terrence up in case he fainted. Aludrnari was standing by with Draco, frightened by what was going on.

It was then that Fera finally decided to see what all the commotion was about, her eyes first landing on Metaltail. She didn't have time to question what type of dragon Silva was, or what she was doing, as soon as she saw the wounded Snaptrapper, she bombarded the Sword Stealer with questions.

" _What's going on here? Who are you? What are you doing here?_ "

" _That Snaptrapper invaded my territory!_ " Metaltail snapped, " _No one enters Metaltail's territory without paying the price!_ "

Splitjaw lifted one of his four heads in response to Metaltail's statement.

" _I didn't invade your territory, Metaltail! You invaded mine! I should know, I chased you out myself!_ "

Metaltail growled and snarled in frustration. " _You didn't chase me out, I chased you out!_ "

The more Fera, Mortem, and Silva listened, the more confusing it got. Mortem wrote out what the two dragons were saying in the dirt in hopes that maybe his adopted father could help them understand what was going on. But Hiccup had no idea either.

" _Walk us through what happened,_ " Fera said, " _Metaltail, was it? You start. Tell us exactly what happened._ " She nodded to Mortem, who readied himself to write in the dirt to explain to Hiccup what Metaltail was saying.

Despite his annoyance, Metaltail complied.

" _I was surveying my territory from the air, and I saw another dragon at the edge of the border line. I started chasing him. I couldn't get close enough, but I saw it was a Snaptrapper. I chased him for a while, and then I lost him for a moment. When I found him again, I attacked. I wounded him, but he was still strong enough to fly. I was tired, so I stopped to take a break before I found him on human grounds._ "

Mortem wrote out the entire story to Hiccup, who seemed to understand. "What about Splitjaw?"

Fera caught his question and nodded to Splitjaw, signaling him to tell them his side of the story.

Which he did.

" _I was also surveying my territory, I saw a Sword Stealer up ahead, right in the middle of my sleeping place. I chased him out, but then he got away. I was looking for him when he came out of nowhere and attacked me. He looked different than when I saw him earlier, but I figured it was because I got a better look at him. I didn't know what else to do, so I kept flying. At one point, I looked back, and he was right there behind me. The next thing I knew, I ended up here._ "

Mortem knew instantly that something didn't add up. Metaltail had been resting while Splitjaw was flying away. And yet, Splitjaw had claimed he'd seen Metaltail chasing him as he was flying away after being wounded. He hesitantly laid out Splitjaw's story to Hiccup through writing. As he finished, he could have sworn he'd seen his father's eyes light up.

"I think I might know what's going on."

But there wasn't time to test his theory. If they didn't do something fast, Splitjaw was going to die.

Luckily for them, Metaltail was no longer trying to interfere, which made the treatment a whole lot easier. The Sword Stealer felt something he'd never felt before. And that feeling was guilt. He knew for a fact that he hadn't flown into the Snaptrapper's territory, and yet here was Splitjaw, badly wounded and losing blood from an injury he'd inflicted. He finally realized that something was definitely not right. The Snaptrapper he'd been chasing before didn't look much like Splitjaw, it was darker in color and more elusive.

So, what dragon was he chasing?

* * *

Metaltail stayed beside the Snaptrapper, even when the dragon was sent to the stables to get some much-needed rest. The humans had all gone home, leaving him alone with the dragon that had once been his mortal enemy. Neither dragon said anything to each other, leaving an awkward silence.

A noise from outside broke the silence. Both dragons "stood" at the ready in case it was the rogue dragon they'd encountered earlier that day. The door to the stable slowly opened.

It was Hic and Toothless Jr.

Let it be known, Hic was never one to slip out of his room at night. Normally he was too afraid of getting in trouble to even think about sneaking out. But his worry for Splitjaw seemed to be even greater than his fear of getting in trouble with his parents. He needed to know that his new friend was okay.

"Are you okay, Splitjaw?"

The Snaptrapper slowly nodded one head. Metaltail lowered his head in embarrassment. Hic caught the Sword Stealer's eye and, without any sign of fear, walked over and placed a hand on the dragon's flank.

"It'll be okay."

Suddenly filled with resolve, the Sword Stealer lifted his tail so that it was in Hic's full view. Confused at what the dragon was trying to tell him, Hic took a guess.

"Metaltail?"

The Sword Stealer nodded.

Hic smiled at the progress he was making, but he knew he needed to leave soon if he was going to get back to his room before Hiccup and Astrid noticed he was gone. Patting Metaltail's side, Hic made his way toward the exit, Toothless Jr. trotting after him. The adolescent Night Fury was more than tired from the day's events, but Hic was too inquisitive about what his father might have found out about Splitjaw and Metaltail's situation.

But that would have to wait until the next morning.

* * *

 **I promise, the human members of the Haddock family will be put back into focus at some point, but first I have to sort out the ideas Artistic and I have come up with for this new conflict! Hopefully updating will go much faster now, so leave a review and I'll get straight to work!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

 **Things are starting to kick off again, and hopefully for a more exciting and longer lasting plot than earlier!**

* * *

Hic did manage to make it back home, and into bed, without anyone besides Toothless Jr. knowing that he had even left. But ironically, he didn't get much sleep due to being nervous that someone may have seen him.

He was also still worried about Splitjaw. He'd been close to death, and it was likely his health could take a turn for the worse at any minute.

To top it all off, he lost yet another chance to tell Unn that he loved her. It was beginning to get ridiculous. Was the whole world out to get him for something? Was he destined to live alone his whole life, without anyone to assist him when he needed help?

Toothless Jr. watched helplessly as his rider and best friend tossed and turned in his bed as the questions passed through his mind.

Let it be known, Night Furies weren't the best at assisting a non-draconic friend with love and romance. But that didn't mean weren't smart enough to know love when they saw it. Toothless had known since the fateful night that Hiccup had a thing for Astrid, and thanks to him the two Vikings were happily married with three children, in addition to Mortem the Red Death as an adopted son.

Now it was Toothless Jr.'s turn to help his rider find true love.

But with all the excitement combined with Hic's nervousness, it would be anything but easy.

* * *

Hic ended up not getting a wink of sleep that night. By the time he finally started to doze off, his parents entered his room to wake him up. Hic was too tired to fully understand what they were saying, but he knew they wanted him to get up. Groping around in the bright sunlight, he ended up face-planting on the hard wooden floor.

"You okay, Hic?"

Hic nodded in a feeble attempt to answer his father's question.

But the older Hiccup wasn't buying it.

"Maybe you should sit this one out."

Toothless Jr.'s ears perked up at that. He knew the less time Hic was out, the less time he'd spend with Unn, and that meant he wouldn't be able to help them grow closer to one another.

No, no way he was letting his friend sit this one out.

Toothless Jr. grabbed the back of Hic's shirt in his teeth and bounded out of the room with his rider shouting out in surprise.

"Hey, what are you...?!"

Hic never called out like that when he was sleepy. He was wide awake now.

Especially since Toothless Jr. had dumped him onto the ground outside.

"Overexcited dragon," Hic muttered to himself as he picked himself off the ground and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

"Hic?"

The boy nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Unn's familiar voice. He felt something push him, and he turned to see Toothless Jr. standing right behind him and giving him a smug look. Hic briefly glared at the dragon before straightening himself and turning towards his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said quickly, "Just a little tired."

Toothless Jr. nudged his rider closer to Unn, earning him another glare.

Unn giggled at the sight. "What's up with him?"

Hic ignored his dragon's attempt to laugh. "I honestly have no idea."

Toothless Jr. snorted in response.

An awkward silence followed soon after.

Hic decided to break that silence after taking a minute to clear his throat. "So...um...I was wondering, uh...maybe after all this you'd want to go for a flight?"

Unn chuckled at her boyfriend's nervousness before she answered his question. "Sure, I'd love to."

Hic was genuinely speechless after that. Unn had just agreed to go out on a date with him. Granted, they were in the middle of a dragon-related problem, but still. Turning towards his dragon friend, Hic saw that Toothless Jr. was smiling at him.

"So, how is he?"

Hic looked back at Unn in confusion. "What?"

"Splitjaw," Unn said, "I came to ask if he was okay."

Hic froze. Had Unn seen him sneak out to the stables to check on the wounded Snaptrapper? If that were true, who knows how long it would be before his parents found out about it. "Uh...I don't know...I'm sure he's fine."

Unn just nodded. She didn't want to force Hic to talk about anything that might leave him depressed. So instead, she decided to ask a different kind of question. "Do you think it would be okay if I went with you guys? You know, to wherever your dad's headed."

That brought down Hic's level of anxiety down quite a bit. He shrugged. "Yeah, sure, I guess."

Toothless Jr. smiled at that.

* * *

Hic tried not to look too jittery as Unn rode behind him on Toothless Jr. He didn't know why, but the dragon kept looking over his shoulder and giving him a smug look. Since when did the Night Fury care about his love life?

Behind them, Metaltail was carrying the wounded Splitjaw on his back. If the Sword Stealer was telling the truth, it was the very least he could do to make up for the misunderstanding between them.

Hic tried to avoid looking anyone in the eye, fearing they might sense his insecurity. He was tired of always feeling weak and afraid, and he wanted to do something about it. As he tried to avoid making eye contact with Unn, he suddenly noticed a large black mass in the forest in front of them. But there was something off about it. It looked as though there were several parts of it moving independently from the rest. But as they flew in closer, Hic realized that what appeared to be one large dragon was actually dozens of smaller dragons.

"Just as I thought," Hiccup muttered to himself, "Night Terrors."

The small black dragons shifted between forms of a Sword Stealer, a Snaptrapper, and a larger version of themselves. No doubt they were the culprits to what had happened the previous day.

Overcome with a powerful rage over being tricked, Metaltail shot a blazing hot blast of fire at the troublesome group. The Night Terrors instantly scattered, avoiding the fire, and began attacking the group. Sharp teeth and claws nipped and raked at human flesh and dragon scales, leaving bite marks and scratches in their wake.

Trying to see past the flurry of wings and claws that surrounded him, Hiccup called out. "Kids, get out of here! Find someplace safe!"

"We're not going anywhere!" Camicazi shouted back, her warrior-in-training instincts kicking in.

Whenever Camicazi didn't obey an order from her father, that was usually when Astrid told her otherwise. And that's exactly what she did.

"Camicazi Haddock, do as your father says!"

Camicazi was about to retort, but decided to remain silent. She instead nudged Eclipse into joining her two brothers, who had already taken their father's word and were falling back with their respective girlfriends. The female Night Fury took note of her rider's disappointment as they flew into the forest, away from the angry swarm of Night Terrors.

"You okay, Cami?"

The Haddock girl glanced to her left to see Terrence flying next to her on Bigbee with Scales cradled in his arms. "I just wanna be where the action is," she said.

"That makes one of us," Terrence said in reply, "I've had enough action to last a lifetime with these two dragons."

That last part made Camicazi chuckle.

Up ahead, Hic was still trying to avoid meeting Unn's eyes. He was afraid she may have witnessed him sneaking out in the middle of the night - something he had never done before - which could lead to him getting in trouble with his parents. It wasn't until they all landed on a rocky beach not far from the forest where the adults were trying to deal with the rogue Night Terrors that he finally decided to suck it up and ask her.

"Hey, Unn?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't...see anything unusual last night, did you?"

Unn shook her head in confusion. "No, nothing. I was asleep all night. Why?"

Hic shrugged, trying to look casual. "No reason."

Toothless Jr. suddenly bounded forward, knocking both riders off of his back. After getting a face full of sand, Hic looked up to see his Night Fury companion bounding ahead towards an odd formation of rocks. The dragon suddenly paused and looked back, having just realized that he was riderless. Crooning an apology, he allowed Hic to remount him before heading off again. This time, Hic managed to stay on his dragon companion the whole way through. The Night Fury stopped at a rather peculiar outline of rocks. Hic dismounted Toothless Jr. as they both peered between the rocks to see a mysterious blue orb that was half-submerged in the water.

Hoping to get a closer look, Hic squeezed himself between two of the rocks and treaded carefully up to the orb, cautiously reaching out a hand to touch it. As he brushed his hand against the smooth surface, the mysterious blue orb suddenly jerked toward his touch. Startled, Hic backed up against one of the rocks as the orb continued to jerk around, the smooth surface cracking. Hic's mind was completely blank with shock and amazement as the top half of the orb fell away to reveal an infant dragon.

The dragon was clearly an aquatic species, with four short legs, each ending in a long flipper, and long wings. Its body was rotund and had a sort of chunky short-snouted head. In addition, a line of luminescent spots trailed along its body. Its skin seemed to be a mix of a light blue and a dark green, clearly for underwater camouflage.

Hic stayed completely still as the infant dragon looked around, its eyes landing on him. The dragon's head tilted to the side, its eyes asking, " _Are you my mommy?_ "

It was at that moment Hic fainted.

* * *

 **New dragon! Meet the Luminous Krayfin from the HTTYD game School of Dragons! The baby from the game was just too cute to leave out of this storyline, so I found a place for it! Anyone notice anything similar about the situation?**

 **Please leave reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

 **Let's see how the Haddocks will handle the new baby leviathan, shall we? Hopefully you guys have learned a bit more about the Luminous Krayfin from the HTTYD website.**

* * *

Hic woke up at the feeling of two dragons licking his face. Moaning, he felt around with his hands to find that he'd somehow made it to dry land after he fainted. Opening his eyes, he found the familiar muzzle of Toothless Jr. and the not-so-familiar face of the baby leviathan he'd seen hatch from the mysterious blue orb.

Both dragons had been licking his face in an effort to wake him up.

And it had worked.

Hic just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the mysterious baby dragon.

At least he thought it was a dragon. Did ocean leviathans have wings? He was pretty sure they didn't. And the creature that hatched from the glowing blue orb-like egg had wings, so that meant it was a dragon.

Right?

Hic sat up and looked at the strange creature that was staring at him curiously.

"Hic!"

With the new dragon, the junior Haddock had forgotten all about his girlfriend. He quickly stood up and brushed the sand off of his clothing as Unn ran to meet him. She stopped when she noticed the strange creature standing by her boyfriend.

"What is that?" she asked.

Hic shrugged. "I have no idea."

He tried to move away, but the baby leviathan followed his every move.

"Maybe Mom and Dad will know what to do," he said.

* * *

Unfortunately for Hic, his parents were currently occupied with the massive swarm of rogue Night Terrors.

The little black dragons were so stubborn, even Mortem was having difficulty dealing with them.

" _Please, stop! We want to help you!_ "

The leading, white Night Terror, just snorted.

" _We only take commands from the Great Green!_ "

That caught Mortem off guard.

" _The Great Green? What is that?_ "

Halting for a moment, the leading Night Terror hovered in front of Mortem's three left eyes.

" _The Green Death commands all dragons who oppose this island. He is high and mighty, you are no match for him, you pathetic hatchling!_ "

Mortem was stunned. There were other dragons like him out there. He'd figured he was the only one of his kind, but no, there was another Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus out there somewhere.

Before he could do anything else, the Night Terrors suddenly regrouped and flew off, heading away from the island.

Hesitating slightly, Mortem wrote in the dirt what the leader Night Terror had said to him. Toothless and Stormfly landed near the words in the dirt and allowed their riders to dismount.

When he finished reading his adopted son's message, Hiccup looked as stunned as Mortem was.

"The Green Death?"

Mortem just warbled and shook his head.

"Hey, Dad!"

Hiccup turned to see his youngest son running over with Toothless Jr. and an unfamiliar sea dragon at his heels. After giving the baby leviathan a confused look, the elder Haddock asked carefully, "Hic, where did you find that dragon?"

"On the beach," Hic replied, "It hatched from an egg and started following me. Can you help me?"

Somehow the situation his son was in sounded very familiar to Hiccup. A concerned warble from Mortem reminded him what he had gone through when said Red Death imprinted on him after hatching from his egg.

The leviathan had imprinted on Hic in the exact same way Mortem had imprinted on Hiccup.

After doing a double take at the message in the dirt and them back at the baby leviathan, Hiccup sucked in a breath. "Maybe we can deal with this back home."

* * *

At the Haddock household, the baby leviathan stared obliviously at Hic as Hiccup and Draco examined it. From measuring its wingspan to checking its teeth, they were hoping to gather enough information to figure out what kind of dragon it was.

Hic, meanwhile, was looking through Bork's notes to find anything about the dragon that was staring at him with an adorable look in its eyes. Finally the youngest Haddock sighed and set down the papers in frustration. "There's nothing in here that even looks like this dragon!"

"At least you're not stuck trying to get it to move!" Draco snapped.

Hiccup sighed. "Can you boys please stop shouting at each other and focus on the task at hand?"

"This would be easier if Mom hadn't taken Cami out for her daily combat training!" Draco said, "At least we'd have more hands here!"

Hic took a step backward. "You know Camicazi hates it when you call her that, Draco."

That earned him an eye roll from his older brother. "First of all, Cami's not here, and she doesn't mind when Terrence calls her that!"

Hiccup quickly ran over so that he was standing between his two quarreling sons. "Okay, you two, that's enough! I understand you're both frustrated, but fighting isn't getting us anywhere. So, can we please just take a minute to calm down before we finish examining the dragon?"

Draco and Hic were both silent for a minute before they simultaneously answered, "Fine."

The baby leviathan watched all three with interest.

But mostly Hic.

Draco sat down and started looking through Bork's notes himself. Hic hesitated before asking his older brother, "Do you think we should name him?"

Draco didn't look up, but he nodded slightly to show he'd heard the question. "I guess if he's gonna be imprinting on you, we might as well."

Hiccup chuckled as he sat down next to Toothless, who had been watching from the side. "I'm sure we'll come up with the perfect name for her."

Hic momentarily froze before turning to face his father. "It's a girl?"

Draco looked up from the notes. "How do you even know that?"

Toothless shot both boys an annoyed look before Hiccup patted his muzzle. "Boys, I've dealt with dragons on Berk, Dragon Island, Outcast Island, Berserker Island, Dragon's Edge, and your grandmother's nest. I think by now I'd know a female dragon when I see one."

Hic sighed. "Well, that takes Depthcharge off the list."

Draco groaned in frustration. "Why do you always want to name the dragon?"

"It helps me form a bond with them," Hic replied, "Dad always says that's one of the first steps to getting a dragon to trust you."

After grabbing a few more sheets of Bork's notes to look through, Draco sighed. "Okay, then what's her name?"

Hic looked back at the baby leviathan, who was still staring at him curiously.

Leviathan...

"Levy."

Draco looked up at his brother for a split second, before resuming his search through the papers. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Hiccup stood up and walked over to the baby leviathan - Levy - and patted her flank. "There's nothing wrong with that name, Draco."

Shaking his head, Draco held up a sheet of paper depicting an older dragon that looked vvery similar, if not identical, to Levy. "For a Luminous Krayfin? I don't think so."

Hic was stunned. "Where did you find that?"

"In the Tidal Class section," Draco replied.

Hic gawked at his older brother. "I looked through those notes five times! I never found anything like that!"

"Well, then, obviously you weren't looking hard enough," Draco snapped as he put the notes away, leaving the information about the Luminous Krayfin out for them to read. "And there are girl dragon names I can think of that are loads better than Levy."

Hic hesitated for a second before stating his defense. "Dad said there wasn't anything wrong with the name, and the Krayfin seems to like it, anyway."

True to his word, the baby Luminous Krayfin looked interested whenever they said its name.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, call the dragon whatever you want."

Hic sighed. "Okay, well, what if you said it without sounding so condescending?"

"I can try," Draco said, "But you weren't able to find any information on the dragon that imprinted on you!"

Hiccup quickly grabbed the notes about the Luminous Krayfin and started reading them. "Let's just find out what we're dealing with here."

It was at that time Camicazi and Astrid returned home from training. The warrior-in-training set down her axe and went to join her brothers. "Hey, what's going on?"

Draco scoffed. "Oh, the genius here wasn't able to find anything about the dragon, which, by the way, he named Levy!"

Camicazi winced. "You're talking about our brother, right?"

"I'm standing right here!" Hic exclaimed in frustration.

The suddenness of his shout frightened Levy, who jumped back a little. Hic noticed her out of the corner of his eye, and went to comfort her. "Sorry, girl."

Hiccup watched his son interact with Levy, memories of an infant Mortem flashing through his mind. He missed the days where his adopted son was still just small enough to fit through the large doorways to the Great Hall and the Dragon Academy.

Astrid tried her hardest not to grin as she went to join her husband, but small hints of a smile managed to creep their way onto her face. "Thinking about Mortem?" she guessed.

Hiccup breathed a laugh. "It's still hard for me to believe he used to be that adorable little dragonet. Always staying by my side, and being curious about everything. I'd give anything to relive all of that for just one day."

Astrid leaned against her husband and smiled at the memories of a cute baby Mortem playing happily in the cove. "He really grew on us, didn't he?"

Hiccup nodded. "I'm glad we found him when we did. He wouldn't have lasted a day out there on his own."

Astrid chuckled. "Who would of thought we'd need him as much as he needed us?"

Their attention turned back to Levy as she joyfully nuzzled their youngest son. Both parents laughed as Hic tried his best not to fall over from the aggressive affection of the Luminous Krayfin.

With their parents' attention on their younger brother, Draco and Camicazi easily snuck out the front door and left to meet with Aludrnari and Terrence. There was no way they'd let Hic drag them into the situation he'd gotten himself into already.

But at least he'd have his parents' support.

Thinking of Mortem reminded Hiccup of their earlier encounter with the Night Terrors. Whatever the Green Death was, it was out there somewhere, and most likely causing trouble for other dragons and Vikings.

But when the time came to face it, they'd be ready.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry this took so long, I've just been so busy with moving into a new house and with college starting, and then the fifth season of Race to the Edge came out and I just had to watch it! But I finally finished this chapter, YAY!**

 **Please leave a review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

 **Now for things to start heating up again!**

* * *

Hic ended up having to share his bed with Levy the first night through. Which meant he had to sleep at the foot of the bed while the baby leviathan hogged the pillows. The result was a back kink in his back the next morning, but at least Levy was happy and well-rested.

That was all that mattered, right?

But that didn't mean Hic wasn't trudging down to breakfast muttering "ow" under his breath repeatedly.

Draco was the first to notice Hic's complaints. "Don't tell me you slept with that dragon in your bed." The eldest of the Haddock children had once made the mistake of sharing his bed with a baby Scuttleclaw, which led to the same kind of back pain Hic was suffering from.

"That dragon has a name," Hic said defensively before cringing in pain as he sat down.

"Boys," Astrid said warningly.

Both Draco and Hic gave their mother an apologetic look. "Sorry, Mom."

Unfortunately, Levy chose that exact moment to trot over to where Hic was sitting and plop down at his feet. The boy barely had time to wonder how the dragon had woken up and made her way down the stairs from his bedroom as the weight of the infant leviathan practically squashed his boots. "Good morning, Levy," he grumbled out in pain.

The baby leviathan responded by nuzzling his legs. " _Good morning, mama._ "

That got Toothless chuckling.

But there wasn't much time to be fooling around. Hiccup had recently been planning to find the Green Death and straighten things out before any more rogue dragons disturbed the peace.

Astrid was very much aware of Hiccup's recent planning, and there was still one thing she was uncomfortable with. "You're sure it's a good idea to bring the kids?" She asked quietly enough so their children wouldn't hear.

Hiccup sighed. "If we don't, I'll be making the same mistake my dad made."

Astrid knew he was right. Stoick had been far too stubborn, and greedy for the war's end, to stop and listen to any better, smarter, ideas given by another Viking. It was Hiccup's persistence, quick thinking and selflessness that had saved them from Mortem's mother, not brute force. And he couldn't have done it without the help of his friends.

Additionally, they knew more about the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus now than before they'd raised Mortem as their son.

Draco and Hic stayed quiet as they tried to listen in to what their parents were saying. The younger Haddock didn't even acknowledge Levy swiping a fish off of his breakfast plate. He didn't really enjoy fish much, anyway.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on?" Draco finally asked.

Both parents turned to look at their two sons. Camicazi was absent. She was one of the first ones up in the morning, and she'd been going out to her mother's training spot in the forest to practice her axe-wielding skills. Astrid was the first to pick up on that, and it didn't take long for Hiccup to figure it out too.

After exchanging one last glance with his wife, Hiccup explained to his sons, "Once your sister gets back, we're packing up our travel supplies."

Hic knew exactly the reason they would be packing. He didn't have to ask why. But he did it anyway. And Hiccup's response was exactly what the junior Haddock knew it would be.

"We're going to go find the Green Death."

* * *

By the time most of the other Vikings in the village were up and about, the members of the Haddock family were out on dragonback. Mortem was in the lead, with Fera and their three children following, the Red Deaths by air and the Bewilderbeasts by sea. Levy had been left back at the Haddock household for her own safety, with half a dozen baskets of fish and a trio of large water troughs to satisfy her needs. It took a while for Hic to convince the baby leviathan to stay home, but he got through to her when he promised to take her swimming after they got back.

Mortem was hoping to pick up the scent of the Green Death with his strong sense of smell. It wasn't all that easy, given that he'd never tried to track the scent of his own species before. But he wasn't about to give up just yet.

Especially when a stray Night Terror bumped into his nose.

Mortem scowled at the little black dragon. " _Where is the Green Death?_ "

The Night Terror scowled back. " _Why should I tell you? You're the same species, go find your own nest!_ "

Mortem snorted. " _I don't need a nest. I am the Alpha dragon. Now, where is the Green Death?_ "

The Night Terror's response was a shocked squeaking noise. " _You're the Alpha? You fought the king Benignus and won?_ "

Mortem shook his head. " _No, Benignus was challenged and killed by his brother, Tyranno. I fought Tyranno and won the title fair and square._ "

" _Forgive me for being so rude,_ " the Night Terror said, with a significantly more elegant tone. " _I am Darkwing of the Berk Night Terror flock. What is your request, oh great and mighty Alpha?_ "

Mortem rolled all six of his eyes. " _Where is the Green Death, for the third time!_ "

" _Inside the volcano by the sea stacks,_ " Darkwing replied, pointing with one of the wings from which his namesake had come from.

Mortem looked confused. " _Berk has a volcano?_ "

" _Great heavens, no,_ " Darkwing said, " _It's one of the developing isles further out to sea. The one surrounded by the sea stacks, you can't miss it._ "

Mortem nodded. " _Thank you, Darkwing. Thank you very much. You may return to your flock, if you wish._ "

Darkwing shuddered. " _Whiteout will kill me if she's finds out about this._ "

Mortem nearly asked about the lead, white Night Terror being female, but there were more important things for him to think about. " _You won't have to worry about it once we deal with the Green Death. Go find someplace safe to wait out the fight._ "

That got the Night Terror flying off towards the sturdiest sea stack he could find.

All Mortem had to do now was warble his family to signal them to follow him to where Darkwing had pointed.

* * *

While Mortem was conversing with Darkwing, the teenaged Haddock children hung back with their significant others. Hiccup had said they'd need all the help they could get if they were going to be facing the Green Death, and he wasn't making any exceptions. He was lucky that it didn't take too long for him to convince both Astrid and the other teens' parents to allow the three to come along with them.

Draco was riding on Jet, as per usual, and with the other Night Fury offspring of Toothless and Starlight following close behind with Camicazi and Hic on Eclipse and Toothless Jr., respectively.

Aludrnari was on Torch's daughter, Peril, but frankly, she wanted to talk to Draco. He'd been giving blunt answers to all her questions since they'd gotten back from their "vacation" on Dragon's Edge, and it was making her nervous.

Her anxiety didn't go unnoticed, though.

"Nari, are you okay?"

She didn't want to answer, but she knew she had to.

"I'm worried about you, Dray."

When he didn't respond verbally, she continued. "You haven't been talking to me as much, and I just want to know if you're okay. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on."

Draco signaled his girlfriend to dragonjump from Peril over onto Jet after she finished speaking. He needed to tell her what was going on without too many unwanted ears. Once Aludrnari was sitting in the saddle behind her boyfriend, Draco whispered his explanation in her ear.

"I want to marry you, Nari."

The teenaged redhead was shocked into silence at that. She and Draco had considered marriage, but hadn't fully discussed it to a point. They both admitted they liked the idea, but never decided when and if they were going to follow through.

Camicazi and Terrence, meanwhile, were taking turns looking after the sleeping Scales. The baby Basilisk dragon had played himself out the past few days, giving Terrence the lucky break he deserved. The black-haired teenager could almost see himself and Camicazi as parents raising Scales as their very own child. But he hadn't even told her he loves her yet.

Was this the right time to do it?

If the Green Death was any worse than Bigbee was when she was hunting him, he might not get another chance.

Surprisingly, Camicazi beat him to it.

"Terrence?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He was shocked into silence at that. He wasn't sure, but he had been hoping that Camicazi loved him back.

The Haddock girl, however, didn't seem to notice her boyfriend's shock. "I just thought that since we might not make it through the fight, I had to let you know how I felt. I didn't realize it at first, but whenever we were taking care of Scales together, I felt that the three of us were like a family. I...I want you to be part of my family."

Terrence, not knowing whether or not he had the guts to answer her, did the one thing he always did whenever he was facing something unfamiliar and frightening to him.

He fled.

Bigbee flew ahead after urging from her rider, though not too far so that they were alienating Camicazi. The mother Basilisk dragon had grown quite fond of the girl, seeing how she got along so well with her son's babysitter.

The third teenaged couple, meanwhile, was having considerably less stunned silence than the other two.

"I hope we get through this fight," Unn said to her nervous-as-always boyfriend. "My birthday's not too far off, and I'm pretty sure I want to live long enough to enjoy it."

Hic already knew about Unn's upcoming birthday, but he always had trouble figuring out what to give her as a present. He'd always ask what she wanted, but she always gave the same answer. But it didn't stop him from asking her again, just in case.

"Is there anything you want for your birthday?"

Unn shrugged. "As long as I get to spend the day with the people I love."

Wait.

That was it.

Hic's idea for the perfect birthday present for Unn. He could finally tell her he loved her. Sure, such an act would probably require a lot of planning, but it was just what he needed to finally express his feelings to her.

The sudden rumble of a volcano caught everyone's attention as Mortem landed on the "developing isle," as Darkwing put it. Hiccup wordlessly directed everyone to land their dragons on the nearby sea stacks. If the Green Death was inside the volcanic nest like he thought, they'd need to approach quietly and let Mortem draw it out.

Fera and the three giant dragonets were also hiding. The three youngsters out of fear, and the mother out of protection for her children.

Breathing deeply, Mortem approached the dormant volcano. " _Green Death? I've come to challenge you._ "

A deep rumbling noise made its way to the surface, growing in intensity as a large mass burst out of the volcano. A gigantic dragon that looked a lot like Mortem, only the small spikes that covered its entire body were colored green instead of red.

The Green Death.

" _You challenge me?_ " The mighty behemoth growled. " _Just who do you think you are, child?_ "

Mortem straightened his posture. " _I am Mortem the Red Death. Son of the queen of the Helheim's Gate Dragon Nest, and the newly crowned Alpha dragon. I am here because your dragons are attacking my family. Call them off, and we'll leave peacefully._ "

The Green Death took an interest in the young Alpha after he mentioned the dragon nest in Helheim's Gate. " _You're Regina's son? The queen who was killed by the Dragon Rider?_ "

Mortem was shocked, but he set the feeling aside to appear tough in front of the tyrant. " _How do you know my mother? She didn't live anywhere near here!_ "

The Green Death shook his head. " _You really don't know? I didn't just know your mother. She was my queen. I had just gone out to gather food for her and the young one that was to be born, when that Dragon Rider blew her up! I assumed her egg didn't survive, and went to find another mate to have offspring with. It never occurred to me that Regina's dragonet was still alive. My dragonet was still alive._ "

Mortem's six eyes all widened. No, it couldn't be. Was this dragon saying...

" _My name is Viridis. I am your father, Mortem._ "

No longer able to hide his shock, Mortem shook his head. " _No! It can't be! It can't be true!_ "

" _Search your feelings, child,_ " Viridis snarled. " _You know it to be true_ "

Mortem backed away from the dragon that was his father. He would have roared in agony if it hadn't been for the arrival of another.

" _What is going on up there, Viridis?_ "

Another Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus climbed out of the volcano, this one with purple spikes decorating her body. Mortem just barely heard his adopted father yell out in surprise, "Another one?!"

Viridis addressed the arrival of his new mate. " _Purpura, this is the offspring I had with Regina. He's come to challenge me. Something about me using those pathetic slaves of mine to attack his family. He claims he's the new Alpha._ "

The new Seadragonus threw her head back in amusement. " _Ha! None of our kind have won a battle against those frost-breathing snobs! This child's a boaster and a liar!_ "

" _No one calls my mate a liar!_ "

Mortem was too late to stop Fera from calling out in anger. She swam out into the open, glaring at the two that opposed her beloved mate.

Both Viridis and Purpura were quite surprised by the arrival of a Bewilderbeast. " _Shall I get rid of them?_ " the Green Death asked.

" _Not without my help_ ," Purpura replied, glaring at both Mortem and Fera.

" _Anyone who messes with the Green Death must face the Purple Death as well!_ "

* * *

 **Surprise! I've had that planned for quite some time, now. I most recently changed the biology of the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus and the Bewilderbeast so that they require mates to reproduce, instead of asexual reproduction. Also, Fera and Rex now get by via swimming like Benignus and Tyranno. Bewilderbeasts just aren't designed to fly, I'm afraid. Other than that, enjoy the stories! And don't forget to review!**

 **P.S. Viridis and Purpura are Latin for green and purple, respectively.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

 **Finally, the big showdown I've been planning for a good, long while!**

* * *

Mortem stood in shock at the pair of Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus. He was still trying to grasp the fact that the Green Death, Viridis, was his father. His true father. This arrogant and tyrannical monstrosity was the dragon that was once the mate of Mortem's mother, the late Regina.

And he had to fight him.

" _I know what you're thinking, Mortem,_ " Viridis growled slyly. " _You're hesitant to fight me, aren't you? Those pathetic humans have made you soft. You're no Alpha. You wouldn't live through a real fight with a Bewilderbeast. I don't know what that bloated ice queen sees in you._ "

Mortem shut his eyes. He couldn't listen to what his father was saying, he was trying to get inside his head.

While Viridis was talking, Purpura started to sneak around back to where Fera and her dragonets were. The female Bewilderbeast spotted the Purple Death and fired a warning shot of ice crystals. When Purpura didn't back away, Fera repositioned herself so she was standing between the Purple Death and he offspring. Purpura charged forward and lowered her head. Fera realized what she was doing and lowered her own head. The ground shook as the two gargantuan dragons rammed into each other like two bulls fighting over a female.

Mortem, however, paid no attention to the quarreling females as Viridis continued to taunt him.

" _You'd have been a true dragon if you were raised by me, and you know it. We'd rule all the nests in this stretch of islands._ "

Mortem opened his eyes and glared at the Green Death. " _You're wrong. I am a true dragon, not because I was raised by one. I am who I choose to be, and you can't change me, whether you like it or not!_ "

Viridis didn't like that answer. He lunged at Mortem, teeth bared as he aimed for the neck. Mortem anticipated this, dodging the attack and biting into Viridis's left front leg. The Green Death roared in pain and anger.

" _I don't care if you're my son, you will pay for that!_ "

Mortem snorted as he let go and backed away to look his father in the eye. " _That's fine with me._ "

The two male giants clashed, each biting and clawing each other's front limbs in hopes of hindering the movements of their foe. That signaled Hiccup to start shouting commands.

"Kids, help Fera. We'll assist Mortem."

Hic looked uncertain. "But, Dad..."

"Just do as I told you!" Hiccup said, pausing momentarily as he remembered saying the exact same words to the other riders during their battle against Mortem's mother. "We'll be back as soon as we can!"

No sooner after he said that, the dragons all took off after being signaled by their riders.

Camicazi turned to her boyfriend. "Do you think Bigbee can transform into one of those?"

Terrence shook his head. "I'm not sure. But we can try."

The female Basilisk squawked in agreement.

The bird-like dragon focused her eyes on the Purple Death, taking in all of the giant's features. Slowly, her form began shifting to that of a Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus. But then she suddenly squawked in pain as her bones tried and failed to expand to such enormous mass. It was the first time she felt true, genuine pain as she morphed into another form. With no other choice, she shifted back to her true form and gave Terrence an apologetic look.

The black-haired boy understood. "She can't do it. I don't know for sure, but I think the transformation might be too complicated for her to follow through."

"Then we'll have to try something else," was Draco's reply. "Everyone spread out, look for a weak spot. Try to keep that thing away from our brother's children."

Fera, meanwhile, was slowly getting tired from her fight with Purpura. The Purple Death was using her smaller size in comparison to the female Bewilderbeast to evade her opponent's attempts to land an attack. A few warning shots from the adolescent Night Furies the younger riders were flying on helped to distract Purpura long enough for Fera to land some tusk strikes.

No far from the battle of the females, Hiccup and Astrid were using a similar method to distract Viridis from Mortem. The Red Death silently thanked his adopted parents for the assist as he tried to back his true father into his own volcanic nest.

"Hiccup, this isn't getting anywhere," Astrid said, "We need to try something else."

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't think we can risk what happened with Mortem's mother again. Besides, from the looks of it, I think Mortem can handle himself."

He wasn't wrong. Mortem's experience fighting other dragons was coming in handy against the quarrel he was having with the Green Death. Being able to match his opponent's moves and counter with superior maneuvers.

" _No one of my kind could have pulled off such tricks!_ " Viridis roared angrily. " _Fight like a real dragon!_ "

Mortem snorted. " _What do you think I've been doing, father? Or should I even call you that?_ "

Seeing an opportunity to try and get into his son's head, Viridis fanned out his wings in mock surrender.

" _Fine,_ " he growled, " _You win. Take my nest. Take all the nests, for all I care. I'll call off all the dragons and leave your family alone._ "

Mortem didn't falter, he knew what his father was trying to do. " _And what about Purpura?_ " Two of his six eyes shifted his gaze to the Purple Death, who had her teeth clamping down on Fera's right front leg. The Bewilderbeast was trying to pry off her offender with her tusks, but with minimal success.

" _I'll order her to back down,_ " Viridis lied. " _No one will ever harm you or your mate again, and I'll be the father you always wanted._ "

Mortem's six eyes all narrowed at the Green Death. " _I already have a father,_ " he said.

Viridis started to drop his fake-yield posture in curiosity. What Mortem said next made him drop the act entirely.

" _His name is Hiccup._ "

Roaring with rage and frustration, Viridis charged forward and sank his teeth into Mortem's neck. The Red Death bit back the cries of pain that threatened to leave his throat as he cleverly used the momentum of the Green Death's charge to roll over. Viridis could do nothing as his son rolled onto his back and then over, the weight of Alpha dragon pressing his neck into the hard, rocky ground. The pressure of another dragon his size on top of one of the most vulnerable areas of his body was too much for the Green Death.

His neck snapped.

And Viridis was no more.

* * *

When Fera heard the sound of bones snapping, she had assumed the worst had happened. But she was too busy trying to fight off the Purple Death to mourn over the possible death of her mate.

Hic looked dismayed from his position on Toothless Jr. "This isn't working! We need to do something!"

The sound of teeth crunching down on dragon scales caught everyone's attention. Both Fera and Purpura froze at the sound. The Purple Death's grip on the female Bewilderbeast loosened as she backed away to reveal Mortem's teeth in her neck.

" _Get your filthy jaws off of me, inferior!_ "

Mortem growled angrily. " _I don't want to hurt you, but if that's what I have to do to protect my family, then so be it._ "

Purpura snorted. " _You're still no Alpha, you twit._ "

That did it for Mortem. Pulling his teeth out of Purpura's flesh, he grabbed her head in his front paws and pried her mouth open. Taking in a breath, he shot a stream of fire right down the throat of the Purple Death. After a few seconds, the circumference of Purpura's neck burst open, and her severed head fell into the open ocean along with her lifeless body.

Satisfied, Mortem stood up and let out a triumphant roar...before suddenly collapsing with exhaustion. The last thing he heard before he drifted into unconsciousness were the cries of his human members of his family.

"MORTEM!"

* * *

 **A bit too rushed for my own taste, but don't worry. Mortem will be fine, he's just tired like Godzilla was after fighting both the male and female MUTOs in the 2014 movie.**

 **Happy New Year!**


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